Leeds have made the stronger start to the season and enter Sunday’s Gameweek 5 meeting with Crystal Palace as the form side. They’re third after four matches, with eight points and a goal difference of +4. Palace are 16th, having collected three points, and their goal difference stands at -5.
Those figures set the context for the fixture, but four matches are a small sample. Leeds’ early position gives them a clear advantage in the table; it doesn’t establish how the next game will unfold. Palace’s recent record has been difficult, though one result can quickly change the feel of an early-season run.
Fixture details and team news
The match at Elland Road kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday 20 September. The predicted line-ups offer a guide to the likely selections, but they’re provisional: managers may clarify availability and selection plans during their pre-match press conferences.
That uncertainty matters for Fantasy Premier League managers. A predicted XI can help frame decisions, but it isn’t confirmation that a player will start. If you’re weighing up a transfer or choosing a captain, the final team news could change the picture before kick-off.
Predicted FPL line-ups
The images below show the predicted line-ups for Leeds and Crystal Palace. They’re best read as informed estimates rather than settled teams, especially with the club press conferences still capable of changing the available information.
For detailed updates, see the team news page, which includes the latest press conference information.
Leeds
Crystal Palace
Form and FPL indicators
Leeds’ recent sequence is WDDW: two wins and two draws. Palace’s is LLWL, which means three defeats and one win across the same four Gameweeks. The contrast is plain, although the sequence tells you about results rather than every detail of performance.
Goal difference offers another quick measure of how the teams have started. Leeds are at +4, while Palace are at -5. That nine-goal gap strengthens the case for Leeds as the better-performing side so far, but it shouldn’t be treated as a forecast on its own. A table position and a short run of results can describe form; neither guarantees what happens in one match.
The accompanying data compares each club’s leading players for expected goal involvement (xGI) over the last four Gameweeks. xGI combines expected goals and expected assists, giving Fantasy managers a way to assess how often a player has been involved in chances likely to produce a goal. It can add detail to a comparison that league points alone can’t provide.
Still, xGI is an estimate based on chance quality, not a promise of future returns. A player may post a strong figure without scoring or assisting, while a lower figure can be followed by a decisive contribution. The useful question is whether the data supports what you’re seeing in a player’s role and recent involvement, rather than whether one metric settles the decision.
What the early numbers mean
Leeds’ results and goal difference give them a clear statistical edge going into the fixture. This is more significant than it looks for a team being assessed after only four matches: the points, recent sequence and goal difference all point in the same direction, even if none can remove the uncertainty around a single game.
For FPL managers, the comparison is a starting point. The xGI graphic can help identify which players have been involved in attacking opportunities, while the standings show which team has gathered more points so far. Neither tells the whole story, and the source provides no player-by-player figures in the text to support a more specific ranking.
Here’s the thing: the predicted XIs and the form data answer different questions. The first estimates who might play; the second describes what the teams and their leading attackers have done over a short period. And yet, both have limits. The final team news could alter the predicted XIs, while four Gameweeks leave plenty of room for results and underlying measures to shift.
One practical takeaway. Wait for the press conference updates if your decision depends on a player’s availability, then use the recent data as context rather than certainty. A promising fixture profile is useful, but the numbers don’t pick the team for you (and this is the part most people overlook).
Leeds arrive with the stronger record. Palace have the chance to disrupt it.
