Leeds United 1 Everton 0: Lukas Nmecha's cool penalty helps Whites send a message — Yorkshire Post 18/8/25

By Stuart Rayner

Even by Elland Road standards, the old place was pretty intense at the end of last season's Championship, and Leeds United's football matched it.

Back in the Premier League, the Whites continued in much the same way. It took them 84 minutes, but eventually they got their reward with a 1-0 win over Everton.

A new striker is still high on manager Daniel Farke's summer shopping list, but Lukas Nmecha – the former Middlesbrough man picked up on a free transfer from Wolfsburg – made himself an instant hero with a perfectly-placed penalty Jordan Pickford guessed right but still could not keep out.

Even though the Whites were unable to recreate the fire and brimstone of the first half in the second, it was impossible to argue they did not deserve it. Everton had only seven shots all night – just one of them forcing a save.

On their return to the Premier League, Leeds matched the intensity of the crowd, pressing high up the field and winning the ball back quickly.

They were so much better than Everton in the first half, it was a disappointment the score was 0-0 – although the reception they got as they came off suggested the home supporters were not taking it too badly.

They never lost patience, even as their team tested it after the break.

When Everton played a sloppy pass out of touch in the opening minute as Leeds pressed, the fans roared their approval. They were louder still when new left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson smashed the ball behind for a goal kick from barely five yards into Everton's half. 'Ave it.

Leeds' first chance of note came in the fifth minute, the outstanding Gudmundsson finding Willy Gnonto, who played Joe Piroe through. Pickford was quickly off his line to smother the shot.

Ao Tanaka, playing in a midfield three, won the ball off Beto near the halfway line and it was soon at the feet of Piroe, whose shot deflected for a corner.

When Daniel James had a shot charged down in the 14th minute, Ethan Ampadu won it straight back.

Leeds were unable to force Gudmundsson's deflected shot in after a scramble.

It was all Leeds.

Everton eventually managed to turn the heat down, without posing any more threat – ie any threat – themselves.

It was the 29th minute before the Toffees got into Leeds' penalty area, but Carlos Alcaraz's heavy touch from a Tim Iroegburam pass meant it came to nothing.

Leeds came again in the last 15 minutes of the second half, Tanaka shooting wide and Gnonto over from distance, Anton Stach's header from a Gudmundsson cross unable to find a team-mate, and Pascal Struijk's header at a corner not finding the target.

Pickford flapped a Gudmundsson shot off in a way that did not look great but did the job. Ampadu's crunching tackle on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had created the chance.

Leeds restarted the game positively, Tanaka brilliantly intercepting an Iroegburam pass, only for Gnonto to hit a weak shot at Pickford.

But they never had the same grip on the game. In the 54th minute, Everton even haad a shot – not that Gueye hit the tatrget with it. It would be 76 minutes before debutant goalkeeper Lucas Perri had to make a save, at his near post from Alcaraz.

Gnonto shot into the side netting and Tanaka hit a bouncing ball over.

As the game ticked into the final 10 minutes, it looked as though Leeds might pass up a good opportunity. As toothless as Everton were, they did still have the magic in Jack Grealish's boots to potentially pull them ouit of a hole. He was unable to make any impact in a 20-minute cameo.

Then in the 82nd minute, Stach pounced on an Alcaraz slip and shot.

Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot when he saw the ball hit James Tarkowski's hand. Video assistant referee John Brooks looked carefully at it but decided that although the centre-back's arm was by his side, he had leant into it.

The long wait did not seem to affect substitute Nmecha, preferred on the bench to former Evertonian Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the Sheffielder searches for match fitness.

Everton pushed for the second goal, Tarkowski heading onto the roof of the net, but so did Leeds. Stach's shot was beaten away, Jayden Bogle's effort from the rebound blocked.

It was more than a win, this was a message. Leeds are back and they mean business.