Daniel Farke has urged Leeds United to treat Crystal Palace as a serious threat when the sides meet at Elland Road, insisting the Eagles’ league position does not reflect their performances so far.
Palace have collected three points from their opening four Premier League matches, but Farke believes they could have taken considerably more. He pointed to their opening-day defeat at Everton, where he felt they missed numerous chances and struck the woodwork, before highlighting the 3-2 loss to Ipswich after an early red card for defender Axel Disasi.
The Leeds manager also praised Palace’s recent achievements, including their FA Cup and Conference League successes under Oliver Glasner. He said the club had strengthened during the summer and argued that the squad is better than last season’s, despite the current league position. Palace have also made a flawless start in Europe and the League Cup, according to Farke.
Farke referred to Pierre Sage as Palace’s new manager and said the team appeared to be following many of the same principles as last season. He expects the visitors to produce a strong campaign once results begin to match their performances, warning that Leeds will need to be at their best to take anything from the match.
Leeds have begun the season with eight points from four games and remain unbeaten, but Farke was keen to keep expectations under control. With a three-week international break following the fixture, both clubs will have time to reflect on their positions, although the Leeds boss stressed that Palace should not be judged solely by the current table.
