Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has paid tribute to matchwinner Lukas Nmecha following his late winner against Everton. The striker stepped up off the bench to convert an 84th minute penalty after James Tarkowski was controversially penalised for handling Anton Stach's shot.
"The first two or three touches of Lukas were not spot on," said Farke. "I was a bit worried. The first touches were not great. I was thinking about saying, 'today, perhaps is not the day to take'. He was ice-cold and calm. He is a top guy and a really good finisher."
Referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot after Stach’s thumping shot struck Tarkowski on the arm. The decision was upheld by VAR.
"I haven't watched it back," said Farke. "On field, it felt like it was a penalty. I was a bit worried because it was checked quite long. If you need so long, normally the on field decision should stand. Thank god it stood. I have to watch it back to judge it properly."
It was one-way traffic at Elland Road in the opening 45 minutes as the hosts dominated the ball and territory. They played on the front foot and had over 62 per cent possession but struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities. Lone striker Joel Piroe registered the only shot on target, seeing a low shot kept out by England No 1 Jordan Pickford.
But the visitors were much-improved after the restart and Carlos Alcaraz forced debutant Lucas Perri into a smart save at his near post in the 75th minute. Farke freshened things up late on, throwing on Nmecha, Jack Harrison and Ilia Gruev to try and inject a spark into their attacking play. Debutant Nmecha had the final word, firing home from 12 yards to spark wild celebration scenes among the home faithful.
Despite Nmecha's late heroics, Farke reiterated his desire to bring in more attacking reinforcements before the summer window shuts. "In the offence would be good to have a few more options available," he said. "To be ready for a long Premier League season we definitely need a bit more quality up front.
"At this level, you know bringing players in who improve our squad is costly. Thank god we have ambitious owners. We won't do anything stupid. It is not about the sum of money - you have to spend it wisely."
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