Nottingham Forest 0 Leeds United 2: Whites win well but show there is still more work to do — Yorkshire Post 25/8/26

By Stuart Rayner

Leeds United recorded a good win at Nottingham Forest, but not so good as to paper over the work that still needs to be done in this summer's transfer market.

The Whites only won twice on Premier League grounds other than Elland Road last season, on day four of this they equalled that tally. No wonder the away fans sang "Can we play you every week?"

A side with plenty of fringe players won 2-0 with goals from Daniel James and a James Justin, the second as ugly as the first was beautiful. They all count.

Even with six outfield alterations from the side which won at the City Ground on Saturday, the Leeds changes did not feel wholesale. There was a continuity about the way the team played, but it showed there is more to be done in terms of the depth of this squad.

The assured Nico Elvedi was certainly an exception to that rule, coming into central defence for an excellent debut which leaves manager Daniel Farke with plenty of good options for the back three he plays at home to Brentford on Saturday.

Ao Tanaka's passing added something to the midfield too but Lukas Nmecha like a free transfer back-up striker when his club need more than that. It ought to have been he who scored the second goal, but he kicked fresh air and left James Justin to force the issue, though it was Forest defender Nico Williams who was initially given the goal – not that he would have said thank you for it.

It summed up a night when the German was found wanting.

Sean Longstaff looked nothing like the player of pre-season, and James produced a mixed performance as he continues to learn how to play right wing-back but the pair combined beautifully for the opening goal of the night.

Forest were the better team early on, Ola Aina almost catching James Traford too far across his goal when Nicolas Dominguez spread the ball to him. Trafford, though, covered his near post. Minutes later Justin had to head a goalbound Igor Jesus effort clear.

By the end, though, they were booed off.

It took a quarter of an hour, but Leeds grew into the game.

Tanaka volleyed over after a move his big tackle to set Noah Okafor on a mazy run created.

Longstaff, playing as the inside-right in Leeds' now-customary 3-4-2-1, dinked a shot from a tight angle so far wide Forest won a through in but he should have scored five minutes later, stabbing at Matz Sels when he ought to have scored. Ethan Ampadu had released Daniel James with a beautiful ball around the corner to create the chance.

Too often Nmecha was unable to anticipate balls into the box, and he could not crane his neck to Okafor's 28th-minute delivery.

But the moment of the half belonged to a player Leeds pick almost all of the time.

They should have been caught on the counter-attack in the 30th minute and when Chris Wood nutmegged Tarik Muharemovic, it looked like they would be, only for Rodon to slide in with a tackle deserving of the celebration he gave it.

James had a shot saved from a tight angle, and when the ball came back to him, he teed Nmecha up for a cheeky flick wide.

Longstaff and James combined brilliantly to open the scoring in the 51st minute.

Leeds won a second ball and Longstaff threaded it perfectly to the Welshman, who lifted the ball over Sells for his first club since Leeds were last in the Championship.

Importantly, Trafford protected the lead five minutes later with a wonderful low save from Dominguez after some sloppy play by Muharemovic. Leeds have not had a goalkeeper this reassuring for a very long time.

Okafor nearly made even more of it, going down the other end and curling wide.

Trafford then tipped over from Dominguez, though it was nowhere near as difficult a save.

Forest had by then made a quadruple save to try and get back into the game, but Farke responded with substitutes better than the players they replaced.

Anton Stach almost scored his second goal in half a week at the City Ground, but his effort from 25 yards fizzed wide.

But the second was bundled in with 15 minutes to go to leave the Leeds fans to enjoy their night out in Nottingham.

Their might have been a third, but the Dominic Calvert-Lewin shot was not as sharp as the passes from fellow substitutes Brenden Aaronson and Harry Wilson to create it – and straight at the goalkeeper.

A streaker made it on late in the game, though thankfully with his shorts on. Like Leeds, he was just short of cover up top.

If it makes the Leeds board realise the naked truth about this victory, it will have been a good night all round for the club.