'A disgrace' - Wayne Rooney fumes over controversial Leeds United incident at Crystal Palace
Leeds United were on the wrong side of some questionable refereeing decisions on Sunday.
Wayne Rooney has labelled Crystal Palace defender Jaydee Canvot a ‘disgrace’ after he celebrated the sending off of Leeds United’s Gabriel Gudmundsson.
Gudmundsson was shown a second yellow card in controversial circumstances during first-half added-time in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park. Having initially been booked for an earlier foul on Brennan Johnson, the Swede then committed a soft foul on Ismaila Sarr inside the Palace half.
Referee Thomas Bramall quickly brandished a yellow card but seemingly forgot Gudmundsson had already been booked, requiring assistance from fourth official Paul Tierney amid Palace protests. After almost a minute, he sent the Leeds man off and Canvot was spotted excitedly celebrating the decision in the background.
“It was strange,” Rooney told Match of the Day regarding Gudmundsson’s dismissal. “I don’t know if it was a yellow card anyway, but the fact that the referee had forgotten he was already on a yellow card, it was a strange situation.
“But if you go back to the foul, I don’t even think it was a yellow card. [Canvot celebrating] is a disgrace. To celebrate a player getting a red card is wrong.”
That red card capped off a disastrous few minutes for Leeds, who missed the chance to go 1-0 up shortly before when Dominic Calvert-Lewin dragged a penalty wide. Farke made two defensive changes at the break, with Ilia Gruev and Jayden Bogle replacing Brenden Aaronson and Lukas Nmecha.
Leeds set out to contain their hosts and defended brilliantly, with Palace failing to register a single shot on target all game. According to Opta, Sunday was the first time a team has gone down to 10 men before half-time and kept their opponents from testing the goalkeeper.
Wayne Rooney’s Leeds United relegation battle verdict
Jefferson Lerma did have the ball in Karl Darlow’s net but it was swiftly ruled out, with Johnson offside in the build-up. Leeds actually ended the game with a higher Expected Goals total than their hosts, despite being a man down courtesy of such a controversial decision.
While there is frustration surrounding the decisions on Sunday, Leeds can be proud to have taken a point from Selhurst Park. And with all three relegation rivals also drawing over the weekend, it’s as you were in the fight to survive.
Leeds remain three place and three points clear of 18th-placed West Ham, who are below Nottingham Forest on goal difference. Tottenham Hotspur are a point above the drop zone and two shy of Farke’s 15th-placed Whites with eight games to go.
“I think Leeds’ home form makes it a very difficult place to go,” Rooney added when quizzed on the relegation battle. “I agree, I worry for Forest but also for Tottenham, I still think there’s something not quite right.”