Leeds United 2 Nottingham Forest 1: Whites stay steady for big win in up-and-down relegation battle - Yorkshire Post 4/4/23

IN a Premier League relegation battle so up and down it could make anyone seasick, Leeds United looked every bit a team who are staying up on Tuesday.

Stuart Rayner

A 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest more comfortable than the scoreline suggested catapulted them from the relegation zone to the dizzy heights of 13th.

As for how crucial a win it will be, that will depend on what comes next. But the confidence it has instilled should be invaluable.

Leeds did it by controlling the midfield and the ball – 63 per cent of it –penetrating down the wings and of course with a defensive slip-up just to make things interesting by giving the visitors a headstart.

But there were very few gripes you could have with a dominant performance against opponents who have spent a fortune and got little to show for it.

It was always baffling that presented with so many good wingers, Jesse Marsch did not try to make better use of them but on Tuesday his successor Javi Gracia did, and Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra scored the goals that secured a vital three points.

But the game was about much more than those two.

Weston McKennie bossed the midfield and Marc Roca and Junior Firpo – who have struggled to find their best form in Leeds white – raised their games.

It meant Leeds recovered from Orel Mangala's early strike.

So tight is the bottom end of the table, every result is exaggerated but with a home game against Crystal Palace next, there is a real opportunity to make the third win of Gracia's six-match tenure meaningful.

Leeds were so much in control it was surprising they took right until the end of the first half to lead. But once they did, it was a lead they never really looked like relinquishing.

The Whites started with confidence and patience, funneling attacks down the right but as the game went on, the left came into it too.

First, though, they let their guests take the lead.

It came in the 12th minute but could have been sooner, Emmanuel Dennis hitting a post when Patrick Bamford chested a Morgan Gibbs-White corner to him.

Even then Leeds bossed the ball but the visitors were dangerous on the counter-attack, particularly when they found Dennis.

His marker, Luke Ayling, headed the ball against the Nigerian to spring an attack.

The ball was worked to Dennis and when he pulled it back to Mangala, just arriving in the penalty area, he finished with a calmness belying the importance of the goal and the fact he was yet to score in English football.

It was only Forest's fifth Premier League away goal of the season.

But with McKennie in good form on and off the ball, Leeds shut down the counter-attacks and kept the ball at Forest's end of the field.

The in-form Harrison got them back into the game.

He made good use of Ayling's overlap to bring the ball inside. When Roca's shot was saved, Harrison pounced on the rebound for his third goal in four games.

Robin Koch was unable to contort himself to but a corner on target and Bamford got a flick when he needed a firm finish to Roca's cross after good work at the byline.

Nevertheless, it felt a second goal was coming – or at least should be.

Firpo and Sinisterra had grown in influence as the half went on and finished it in style, the full-back laying the ball off for his winger to come inside and make space for a beautiful goal.

The crowd, who had turned their back on the game in the 23rd minute in recognition of Wednesday's 23rd anniversary of the deaths of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus, switched back on the second the whistle blewfor the second half and Roca was not far behind.

He had a shot after 66 seconds and quickly followed it with an excellent through-ball for Bamford, then a tackle to release Firpo.

Unfortunately, the ruthlessness was still missing from Leeds's game, Moussa Niakhate keeping stride with the striker to block his shot, and Firpo sending his cross at Keylor Navas.

It was a sign of how Leeds were winning their two-versus-three midfield battle that Forest's trio were the first players substituted.

The introduction of Jonjo Shelvey allowed them to ping longer passes and Taiwo Awoniyi gave him a genuine No 9 to aim at. They would have combined in the 59th minute, but for Firpo's intervention.

But again, the threat was quickly identified and shut down. Gracia is good at that.

The Leeds shot count soon started to rise again with the wingers once more leading the way, Harrison's effort deflecting wide from a tight angle, Sinisterra not getting a firm enough header on a free-kick before curling wide.

When Niko Williams collided with Felipe in the 67th minute, it presented an opportunity to end the game. Bamford hit it wide.

Pascal Struijk had to heroically throw himself in the way of Andre Ayew's stoppage-time shot.

Substitute Crysencio Summerville shot wide one-on-one but it turned out to be the last touch.