Patrick Bamford – Fortunebets

Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford scored in either half as Leeds beat Crystal Palace 2-0 to climb into the Premier League’s top 10.

Harrison’s deflected shot gave Leeds a flying start and Bamford tucked home a rebound for his 12th league goal of the season early in the second period.

Leeds secured their 10th top-flight win of the season and gained sweet revenge for a 4-1 defeat at Selhurst Park in November.

They should have won by a bigger margin after spurning several chances, but registered a first clean sheet in seven matches this year.

Palace, who arrived in freezing West Yorkshire on the back of two straight league wins, were a clear second best for most of the match.

Eberechi Eze’s individual brilliance was too fleeting to halt a Leeds onslaught, while the Londoners lacked a cutting edge in the absence of injured top scorer Wilfried Zaha.

Leeds were quick to punish Palace for allowing them too much space on the edge of the penalty area when Harrison’s well-struck shot deflected off Gary Cahill to give the home side a third-minute lead.

Vicente Guaita was forced into a sprawling low save soon after to turn away Bamford’s excellent header from Ezgjan Alioski’s cross.

Bamford should have extended Leeds’ advantage in the 22nd minute after out-witting the Palace defence on the halfway line.

But after spinning Cahill for a free run on goal, the Leeds striker ballooned his shot tamely off target.

Palace began to pose more of a threat as the first period progressed, with Eze’s individual brilliance keeping Leeds’ rearguard on their toes.

Jordan Ayew fired the Londoners’ first shot on target low into Illan Meslier’s hands in the 36th minute.

Leeds defender Pascal Struijk headed Raphinha’s free-kick over the crossbar and somehow headed well wide from in front of goal after diving on to Kalvin Phillips’ cross.

Palace’s appeals for a penalty just before half-time when Ayling eased Ayew off Jairo Riedewald’s throughball were waved away by referee Andre Marriner.

Leeds made another fast start to the second period, extending their lead in the 52nd minute.

Raphinha’s thumping shot was well saved by Guaita and Bamford followed up to turn home the rebound from eight yards.

Eze could have hauled Palace back into it in the 67th minute but he blazed substitute Michy Batshuayi’s cutback over the crossbar.

Stuart Dallas’s fizzing low drive then forced a great save from Guaita and Harrison’s angled effort struck the crossbar as Leeds chased a third goal.

Patrick Bamford’s hat-trick saw him create a little piece of history for Leeds as Aston Villa were denied top spot in the Premier League.

Bamford’s second-half treble saw the striker become only the second player to score in each of Leeds’s opening three away games in a top-flight league season, after Gordon Hodgson in 1937-38.

It took the 27-year-old to six Premier League goals for the season as Marcelo Bielsa’s team continued their impressive return to the top division.

Villa were chasing their own piece of club history, having never won their opening five league games of a season before. They still have not, and Friday night’s defeat saw them miss the chance to top the Premier League table for the first time since October 2001.

Bamford had a good early chance for Leeds but his diving header from Ezgjan Alioski’s deep cross from the left went narrowly wide.

A superb block by Ezri Konsa, throwing himself in front of Rodrigo’s driven shot, saw Leeds go close again shortly afterwards. From the resulting corner, Alioski sent another effort straight at Emiliano Martinez.

At the other end, Ross Barkley stung the palms of Illan Meslier with a shot from outside the penalty area.

Leeds enjoyed the better of the opening 25 minutes but Villa rode their luck and then had the best chance of the game so far.

Ollie Watkins’ low cross from the right side of the penalty area eluded Trezeguet in the centre and found Jack Grealish at the far post. The Villa captain got a good contact with his left foot as he turned the ball goalwards but Luke Ayling’s was on the goal-line to make the clearance.

Leeds survived a penalty scare late in the first half when Grealish went down under a challenge from Helder Costa just inside the area. Referee Paul Tierney waved away the appeals and his decision was supported by a VAR check.

A swift break by Jack Harrison saw him put Bamford in on goal with a lovely throughball but Konsa and Tyrone Mings did just do enough to put the striker off and he scuffed his shot wide.

Grealish was involved again at the start of the second half, almost opening the scoring with a sensational solo run. The 25-year-old collected the ball deep inside his own half before embarking on a driving forward run, riding challenges from three Leeds players on his way to the penalty area.

He took his time to work his way over to the right-hand side but with defenders sliding in all around him, but when he finally got his shot away it was straight at Meslier.

From the resulting corner Meslier then produced an acrobatic save to tip Konsa’s volley over the crossbar after he had beaten Ayling to the ball. It proved pivotal.

Despite Villa’s start to the second half, it was Leeds who went ahead after 55 minutes. Alioski and Harrison spearheaded a counter-attack, with the latter picking out the run of Rodrigo into the area. His effort was initially palmed away by Martinez, but Bamford was lurking to slot home the loose ball at the far post.

Leeds were in the ascendancy since going in front and doubled their lead shortly afterwards. It was Bamford again, curling a shot into the top corner of the net from just outside the area with unerring accuracy.

Bamford completed his hat-trick after 74 minutes, showing good feet to work a yard of space inside the penalty area before curling the ball beyond Martinez.

Leeds were creating chances at an alarming rate and Bamford had an opportunity for a fourth but looped his header into the goalkeeper’s arms, before Pablo Hernandez wildly blazed a shot over the crossbar when he had time and space to do much better.

Watkins had a sight of goal in stoppage time for a consolation goal for Villa but he dragged his effort wide.