Leeds United lost 2-1 to Preston North End on Christmas Day, a setback to their efforts to close the gap on second-placed Ipswich Town. The game lacked excitement in the first half but sparked in the second half when Leeds United goalkeeper Ilan Mesliye was sent off for pushing Milutin Osmadic in the face. Leeds United substitute goalkeeper Karl Darlow immediately conceded the ball and was headed in by Liam Miral and Alain Bronny cleverly headed home. Faskar Stryjk equalised from the penalty spot, but Liam Miral scored a brilliant long-range strike to give Preston the win.
The defeat left Leeds United with the daunting task of catching up with Ipswich. If Ipswich win against Leicester, their lead could be extended to 10 points. Meanwhile, the victory at Preston pushed them to seventh place, just one point behind the top six. Neither manager was available to comment after the game.
Leeds United's Daniel Falke and Preston's Ryan Lowe are likely to provide insights into their respective teams' performances in subsequent interviews. Overall, Leeds United's hopes of closing the gap on second-placed Ipswich Town have been hit after losing to Preston North End. Meslier's red card and subsequent goal conceded had a decisive impact on the outcome of the match. The victory for Preston boosted their ambitions to finish in the top six. Ipswich, on the other hand, will be looking to capitalise on Leeds United's mistakes and extend their lead in the standings.