Crystal Palace are deep in the relegation crisis but thrashed Leeds United 5-1 away from home in the early hours of Monday morning in the relegation survival game. Shortly-appointed leader Hessein has grabbed six points in two games since taking over, a tally that even surpasses the five points (12 games) that former leader Vela achieved in the entire 2023 season. Crystal Palace have scored seven goals in their last two matches, a figure equal to the team's total in their previous 15 league matches, so it seems that Hessein's arrival has really brought a turnaround for the team.
In this match, Crystal Palace conceded the first goal in the 21st minute as Bamford broke the deadlock for Leeds United. However, before half time, Mark Gushee equalized for Crystal Palace. In the second half, Crystal Palace got their wings, with Ibir Ghiyis, Oshinni Edouardi and Jordan Aho (two goals) scoring to lead the team to a 5-1 win. Junior forward Michael Ollis made a hat-trick of assists with three in the match, and was the biggest contributor to the victory.
Crystal Palace breathed a temporary sigh of relief after winning the game to open a six-point gap with the relegation zone. However, the experienced Hessein said, "I don't know magic, everything looks perfect now, even the weather is exceptionally pleasant. But I know that there are different challenges waiting for me in the future, and different puzzles will come one after another. Therefore, I am going to cherish this wonderful moment now."
