'Very fortunate' - Ex-Premier League referee gives view on controversial incident in Crystal Palace's win over Leeds United

After Pascal Struijk’s goal had put Leeds 1-0 up in Sunday’s meeting at Selhurst Park, Doucoure caught Tyler Adams with a late challenge.

Referee Paul Tierney brandished a yellow card with VAR checking the decision and deciding the on-field call was sufficient.

It was a moment that frustrated Leeds fans watching from home who drew comparisons to Emerson Royal’s sending off in the North London derby for a late challenge on Gabriel Martinelli a week earlier.

Gallagher admitted that Doucoure could have easily faced the same fate.

"I think he's very, very fortunate,” said Gallagher on Sky Sports News.

"It's a yellow card because he's low but it's so nasty. He's got him right across the Achilles and if had have been sent off he couldn't have complained.

"The referee has got the best view of that but it's not a very good tackle."

Palace went on to claim all three points with goals in either half from Odsonne Edouard and Eberechi Eze.

Jesse Marsch remained optimistic his side have the potential to turn things around despite the Whites now being winless in five games.

He said: “Sometimes the clarity of options, the clarity of movement, the quality to make the last play, it’s a little combination of everything.

“But my experience is it comes together. It’s hard for me, we have a young team and we need to keep developing.

“Most of the teams I’ve coached, we score goals in bunches and here we just aren’t able to reward ourselves in big moments when we create advantages and are often on top of the game. In every game it’s been a little like that. We’ve got to find a way to get leads and then add onto them.

“We like our group a lot. I like this team. I love this team, I really do. I believe in this team and I know that we’re going to improve and keep getting better.”