How Leeds United January transfer target Jorgen Strand Larsen fared on Crystal Palace debut with big boost
Friday night’s win against Nottingham Forest left Leeds United level on points with Crystal Palace.
A January transfer window signing has helped struggling Leeds United rivals to a huge and much-needed boost.
Leeds moved level on points with both Crystal Palace and Tottenham through Friday night’s hugely important 3-1 win at home to Nottingham Forest, albeit having played one game more than both the Eagles and Spurs.
Tottenham then suffered a tenth defeat of the Premier League season in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off at Manchester United, Palace having to wait until Sunday afternoon before playing their fixture away at Brighton.
Seeking to end an awful run of nine league games without a victory, Eagles boss Oliver Glasner put new signing and United’s January transfer window target Jorgen Strand Larsen straight into his team, just six days on from the striker sealing a £48m deadline day move from Wolves.
Strand Larsen led the line with support from Ismaila Sarr and Yeremy Pino but Glasner changed his attack just 11 minutes after the break.
With the score still goalless, the Eagles boss took of Yeremy who was replaced by Evann Guessand who himself joined the club in the January transfer window on loan from Aston Villa.
Within five minutes of coming on, Guessand set up the opening goal of the game, playing in Sarr who advanced on keeper Bart Verbruggen before producing a composed rising finish with Palace’s first effort on target of the match.
Glorious chance in added time
Brighton looked to respond but a stray pass in the 72nd minute let in Strand Larsen whose low strike from a tight angle was beaten away by Verbruggen for a corner.
Strand Larsen had a quiet first half but the 26-year-old became more involved as the game wore on and another chance presented itself to the striker from the corner, from which the Norwegian sent his header wide and over.
As part of a mixed bag debut, Strand Larsen was then booked for a late challenge as the Eagles looked to see off Brighton’s attempts to equalise. Good hold up play from Strand Larsen himself then won the Eagles a free-kick as the game moved into six minutes of added time.
In his best chance yet, Strand Larsen was then unable to finish off a glorious chance to put the game to bed in the 94th minute after being picked out in the middle of the box by a Daniel Munoz cutback, his low strike saved by Verbruggen.
But the failure to convert did not prove decisive, Sarr’s strike ultimately seeking a first win since December for the Eagles who have now moved up to 13th place and three points above Leeds.
Defeat for Brighton, though, sees them drop to 14th, just two points and two places above the Whites who now sit directly below Spurs as Thomas Frank’s team drop to 15th place.