Leeds United 3 Nottingham Forest 1: Whites revel in glow of floodlights again as crucial win secured — Yorkshire Post 6/2/26

By Tom Coates

Nottingham Forest have made a habit of turning up during turbulent chapters in the recent history of Leeds United.

In 2020, they put a lacklustre Leeds to the sword as the wheels were starting to come off the Championship promotion push in West Yorkshire.

Three years later, Forest put the final nail in the coffin for Jesse Marsch as Leeds boss. Even as recently as November, they turned up the pressure on Daniel Farke in the midst of a dismal run.

However, on a sodden Friday night at Elland Road, Forest turned up to face a Leeds side on an even footing with them - level on points and goal difference - and enjoying relative harmony.

They also faced a Leeds side who have developed a rather handy habit of feeding on Elland Road energy when the floodlights are on.

In a fast and furious display, goals from Jayden Bogle, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin ensured Leeds emerged from the relegation battle six-pointer as 3-1 victors. Lorenzo Lucca netted for Forest late on, but it was merely a consolation.

First half

The hosts took control of the affair early on, zipping the ball across the wet surface with slick precision.

Gabriel Gudmundsson was the first to force the Whites into the final third, racing past Nicolas Dominguez with an explosive burst of pace. He cut back to Brenden Aaronson, who saw his flicked effort deflected behind for a corner.

Leeds’ left wing-back had Forest back-pedalling again barely a minute later, this time getting the better of Elliot Anderson in a foot race. His low drive across goal was very nearly looped into the top corner by Zach Abbott, who was relieved to see the ball drop over the crossbar.

It was down the left side the Whites continued to wreak havoc and Okafor saw a cross put behind before it could reach a lurking Bogle.

Forest’s first sight of goal came on the counter-attack with Leeds having committed plenty of bodies forward. Morgan Gibbs-White surged forward and fed Callum Hudson-Odoi, who only managed to draw a straightforward save from Karl Darlow.

Dominguez made the goalkeeper work harder, sending the Leeds stopper stretching across his goal to palm a left-footed shot around the post.

Forest’s resurgence continued with an excellent delivery in from Anderson, although Igor Jesus’ header was straight down the throat of Darlow.

Leeds’ grip on the game continued to loosen as Forest found it increasingly easy to play neat triangles around the hosts. When the Whites did get on the ball, the precision seen in the opening minutes was nowhere to be seen.

Jesus again found himself on the end of a cross from the right and there was relief among the home fans when he sent it wide of the post under pressure from Bogle.

The tide may well have been turning in Forest’s favour but Leeds’ first glorious opportunities came when they were firmly under the cosh. Calvert-Lewin rattled the underside of the crossbar after connecting with a James Justin cross before Okafor blasted wildly over on the rebound.

Seemingly spurred on by their close calls, Leeds caught the Forest defence napping to make a breakthrough. Ilia Gruev floated a ball over the top and a run from Bogle went undetected, allowing him to slip the ball past Stefan Ortega in a one-v-one situation.

Leeds have made a habit of riding the wave of momentum under the Elland Road lights and did so again, striking again to double their lead.

 

Brenden Aaronson released Justin on the swivel and although the defender’s effort was saved by Ortega, he managed to play into the path of Okafor on the rebound. There was no mistake from the Swiss wideman, who swept home Leeds’ second of the evening.

Forest looked to roar back in the closing stages of the first half only to find their bark was louder than their bite. Even as Leeds again started to look scattered, the visitors could not find a way to draw level before the half-time whistle blew.

Second half

Any fears of Leeds applying the brakes were quickly extinguished as the advantage was extended within three minutes of the restart.

Gruev was afforded far too much space on the edge of the box and lined up a curling effort to test Ortega. Across Ortega’s line of vision flew Calvert-Lewin, who chested the shot into the bottom corner with Forest’s goalkeeper heading in the opposite direction.

As the second-half wore on and Forest struggled to get out of second gear, the frustration of the visitors started to bleed through.

Ibrahim Sangare left Aaronson in a heap with an overzealous challenge, prompting a furious reaction from Justin.

A goalline scramble nearly yielded a fourth for Leeds, who had various legs and heads flying at the ball after Calvert-Lewin was denied a second from close range.

Forest gently knocked on the door rather than taking a battering ram to it and Leeds did not look particularly flustered.

Up at the other end, Daniel James dragged a shot wide after being introduced for his long-awaited return from injury.

Forest did manage to pull one back in the dying embers as Lucca headed home from an Omari Hutchinson cross, but it was a case of too little, too late.

The win sent Leeds nine points clear of the relegation zone and while 18th-placed West Ham United could reduce the gap against Burnley tomorrow (February 7), the Elland Road faithful can breath easier as they watch the weekend results roll in.