Brentford 1 Leeds United 1: Dominic Calvert-Lewin changes storyline for wasteful Whites — Yorkshire Post 14/12/25

By Stuart Rayner

For a while it looked like being another Leeds United tale of what might have as they paid the price for skimping on strikers this summer.

But what Noah Okafor was unable to do, Dominic Calvert-Lewin did, to earn Leeds points from an away game for only the second time this season, and for the first time in 10 trips to London.

It could have been better than a 1-1 draw at Brentford but given that only two teams have taken points here in this season's Premier League, it certainly could have been worse.

The visitors looked to have blown it when they allowed the Bees to go in front in a game they had been the better side in. But a towering header from Calvert-Lewin – a free transfer gamble in a transfer window when manager Daniel Farke also wanted options that came with more guarantees -did the job.

It was the striker's fourth goal in as many games as for the third time in those matches a change of formation brought dividends for Farke.

Calvert-Lewin's ability, especially in the air, has never been in doubt but his robustness has been.

Instead it was the fragility of his striker partner Lukas Nmecha which Leeds were cursing for long periods.

A thigh injury kept him out, and Leeds missed him. Winger Okafor's most logical job in the 3-5-2 formation Farke has hit upon is as a centre-forward, and his pace played to their best tactic of getting in behind the Bees, but he lacked the killer touch to make it count.

Midway through the first half he tried to play a one-two with his striker partner Dominic Calvert-Lewin only for a Brentford defender to play the pass for him. The speed he burst through at forced him wide and he was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher.

After 28 minutes, it was the game's first shot on target.

Later in the half he hooked a chance over after Ao Tanaka headed a Calvert-Lewin cross back to him.

Earlier, Calvert-Lewin flashed a cross over as Leeds kept the ball alive from a blocked Anton Stach shot, and Kelleher turned a drilled Okafor cross to safety.

Long throw-ins are Brentford's not-at-all-secret weapon and Nathan Collins headed one onto the roof of the net after two minutes.

Mathias Jensen failed to connect properly with his shot when a long throw fell to him and Dano Outtatara twice picked out Lucas Perri rather than a team-mate from crosses.

Brentford thought they had a 36th-minute penalty when Outtara went down very easily when he felt contact from Gabriel Gudmundsson grabbing his men.

Far too much deliberation from video assistant referee Michael Salisbury decided it was a foul, but that the Brentford player was offside.

"What the f*** is going on?" chanted the 1,707 Leeds fans as they waited for a decision. The Brentford supporters joined in as television viewers watched what Stockley Park was up to, whilst the huge replay screen on the North Stand roof merely said there was a check for a foul, then an offside.

Yet again those who pay to go to the matches, providing its soundtrack and its vibrancy were disrespected.

Perri had to be alert to keep the first half scoreless, in the 42nd minute.

Pascal Struijk gave the ball away after being pulled out of the back three and Jordan Henderson poked the ball to Kean Lewis-Potter, who had got in behind the defence, but the former Hull City winger was denied by the goalkeeper.

Leeds came out of the blocks quicker after the break but Tanaka flashed a shot wide, Stach hit another couple into defenders.

There was confusion at the other end when Gudmundsson went down under a nudge from Outtara and Perri let the ball through his legs, only to grab it out the other end.

Outtara had a shot blocked when Brentford broke down Leeds' right as the visitors prepared a double substitution. Before Willy Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson could get on, they surged down that side again, Rico Henry putting a ball across which Henderson poked goalwatds.

Bijol got a boot on it, but not a decisive one, in his last act before making way for a switch to four at the back.

Leeds continued to push, but it looked as though their profligacy was going to be punished.

Kelleher saved well from Aaronson as the ball pinged about Brentford's penalty area and an off balance Jayden Bogle made a hash of Stach's lay-off.

But when Gnonto, stationed on the right as Leeds switched to a 4-2-3-1, lofted a cross to the back post in the 82nd-minute, Calvert-Lewin hung in the air and powered it in.

Both sides had chances to win it – Ethan Ampadu flashed a shot wide and Outtara missed the target when Bogle's headed clearance when nowhere.

So it could have been better, but it definitely could have been worse as Leeds nudged the gap to safety a point wider.

Something more comfortable would certainly have been preferable but they did not pay for that.