Leeds United beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Elland Road to move nine points clear of the Premier League relegation zone on Friday night, a crucial victory in a relegation six-pointer that leaves fourth-bottom Forest looking over their shoulders.
A quickfire first-half double set Leeds on their way. Jayden Bogle opened the scoring after Ilia Gruev’s incisive pass found his run, his first goal of the season. Four minutes later Noah Okafor doubled the lead with a close-range finish — his first strike since October.
Forest had several efforts saved by Karl Darlow before the goals and needed a bright start to the second half, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin — who had earlier hit the bar — chested home his 10th Premier League goal four minutes after the break, effectively putting the game beyond reach.
Forest pressed late; Dan Ndoye shot over and Morato nearly nodded one in, while debutant Lorenzo Lucca pulled one back with a towering header on 86 minutes. Darlow kept Leeds safe with a strong stoppage-time save from Ibrahim Sangare, and the hosts held on to celebrate three vital points. Forest’s four-game unbeaten run ended, and they now face nervous anticipation for Burnley vs West Ham given the six-point gap to the Hammers.
Player ratings
– Leeds: Darlow 7, Justin 8, Rodon 7, Struijk 7, Bogle 8, Ampadu 7, Gruev 8 (POTM), Gudmundson 8, Aaronson 7, Okafor 8, Calvert-Lewin 7. Subs: James 6, Longstaff 6, Bornauw N/A.
– Nottingham Forest: Ortega 5, Abbott 5, Milenkovic 6, Morato 6, Aina 5, Sangare 6, Anderson 6, Dominguez 5, Gibbs-White 6, Hudson-Odoi 5, Jesus 5. Subs: Hutchinson 7, Lucca 7, Ndoye 6, Yates 6, Netz 6.
Team news
– Noah Okafor started for Leeds with Anton Stach injured; Daniel James and Felix Nmecha were on the bench.
– Stefan Ortega made his Nottingham Forest debut in goal. Morato and Zach Abbott started for the injured Murillo and suspended Neco Williams.
Manager and player reaction
– Daniel Farke: “There are sometimes games that are, of course, also just three points but it feels a bit more important. … This is a sign of a winning mentality. All the credit goes to my players, because they’re so flexible so far during the season.”
– Dominic Calvert-Lewin: “When you go into any season, double figures is what you’ve got to aim for as a No 9 in this league. Double figures and above. It’s nice to hit that milestone but I’m hungry for more. I’m really enjoying my football and leading the line.”
– Sean Dyche: “The killer for us was giving away such an awful all three goals but the first one at such an important time. By the end we’re trying but it’s too late by then. There’s no qualms about the result. They were better than us on the night.”
What’s next
– Leeds fans, who sang in the rain for much of the night, can enjoy the weekend as their side strengthen their survival bid.
– Forest will look ahead nervously to other results, with the gap to West Ham meaning each match has added significance.