The verdict on Leeds United’s mammoth victory over Nottingham Forest.
Cake-obsessed Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is making a hell of a habit of dishing out the most delicious humble pie.
It seems that when doubt is either creeping in around the German and his decision-making ability, or enshrouding the club completely when the pressure is cranked up to hellish levels, Farke is right at home. "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen," is one of his mantras when it comes to a job few would do with such relish, given all that comes with it.
On a miserable Friday night at Elland Road, the heat was really on. Again. Once more Farke led his team into a game that was a must-win encounter, if everyone is being honest. No one likes to say that out loud, but regardless of the relative positions of Leeds and Nottingham Forest, the fixtures that lay beyond this one for Leeds are a classic case of the night being darkest before the dawn. Trips to Chelsea and Aston Villa and the Elland Road visit of Manchester City. The prospect of the league table looking a little bleaker before some very winnable home games, was very real. So Forest at Elland Road under the floodlights was a timely opportunity to make the drop zone a little more distant and transfer the pressure back onto West Ham United.
Those winnable home games are all well and good until they're upon you and you have to actually go and win them. Forest was definitely one of those. Though Farke's selection, particularly the profile of the midfield, did not immediately scream 'going for it.' Ethan Ampadu anchored a trio that included another defensive-minded operator in Ilia Gruev, and Brenden Aaronson. Sean Longstaff remained on the bench alongside Ao Tanaka. Lukas Nmecha, Daniel James and Jaka Bijol all returned from injury to be included among the substitutes and Facundo Buonanotte missed out entirely - not through injury but simply Farke's preference. The team and squad selection did not land altogether sympathetically with the rank and file. It was not the team predicted by commentators, this correspondent included.
On a night when nerves could so easily settle with the rain at Elland Road, a good start was of paramount importance. Leeds' start could only really have been bettered with a goal. It was the Gabriel Gudmundsson show giving the early encouragement. Three times the left wing-back got round the outside, his pace and balance giving Forest a torrid time of it, delivering quality into the box to boot. One of his crosses was flicked goalwards and deflected behind, another was deflected just over the top.
Fellow left-sided threat Noah Okafor came up with a cross that was better still, almost giving Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jayden Bogle a sniff of goal. But the start gave way to Forest finding some moments of their own, drawing three saves from Karl Darlow in the process. One was a spectacular acrobatic effort from Nicolas Dominguez' curler, sandwiched between two more routine stops.
Errors in possession from Gudmundsson, Okafor and Ampadu stunted Leeds' momentum in possession, handing the ball back to Forest all-too easily and allowing Sean Dyche's men to settle into it nicely. They frustrated Leeds, without unduly threatening until the two sides swapped very good headed chances. For Forest it was Igor Jesus at the back post, getting in between James Justin and Bogle and heading down and wide of the upright. At the other end Justin swung in a beauty of a cross and Calvert-Lewin thumped a header off the crossbar. Okafor's follow up was wild and wayward.
It was a game hanging in the balance, begging someone to take control with a moment of quality and there was no little irony in the architect of that moment. Gruev looked up from deep and spun a perfectly-weighted ball over the Forest backline and into the stride of Bogle inside the box. So good was the ball that Bogle needed just one touch to send it beyond Stefan Ortega to open the scoring. It later emerged that Leeds had worked on that very ball, from that very player, in training at Thorp Arch in the week.
With confidence flowing, Leeds went and grabbed another four minutes later. Justin's one-two with Aaronson took him into the area for a shot and when it was saved he stayed calm, slotting the rebound to the unmarked Okafor to tap in number two. This was big-game mentality and ruthless timing. Josh Warrington was a special guest at the game and the one-two punch that rocked Forest so heavily would serve him well in his upcoming fight with Reds fan Leigh Wood.
Whether it was the occasion, the rain-drenched surface or a mixture of both, Leeds still looked a tad nervy on the ball and some sloppy moments encouraged Forest to drive forward in search of a way back. Yet where Leeds had penetrated the opposition defence with a ball over the top and quick passing, Forest were restricted to long shots - only one of which had to be dealt with by Darlow.
A perfect second-half start from Leeds United
The second half could have been a bag of nerves, with Elland Road living and dying on every transition and chance. So Leeds went and did the most sensible thing possible, scoring another goal. The Gruev masterclass was already well underway by this stage. He had popped up all over the pitch, won his battles and played some lovely football, before intercepting on the edge of the box and sending the ball goalwards. No one cared if it was a shot or a delivery, because Calvert-Lewin improvised brilliantly to dive and chest into the net for a 3-0 lead.
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Had it not been for Ortega's hands, Gruev might have added a goal to his pair of assists, after Pascal Struijk was denied from close range. A fourth would have killed it stone dead. Such comfort is rarely the Leeds way. Instead a cross from Omari Hutchinson was headed in by giant striker Lorenzo Lucca and the nerves jangled a little. But only a little. Darlow's final act was another fine acrobatic stop and Leeds had the win and the nine-point cushion they needed so badly.
Farke, who routinely speaks of a post-win desire to celebrate with coffee and cake, purred about his team's performance, their response to the Arsenal defeat and the way they dug in to keep Forest out in nine minutes of stoppage time. He lauded Gruev, his mix of 'Hristo Stoichkov and Lothar Matthäus' and revealed the Bulgarian, along with Okafor, had impressed in training to earn their spots in the side. But it was the way he saw Gruev's role benefitting Leeds against Forest to exploit a weakness he had seen that stood out most in the post-match discussions. The abundance of caution detected by those of us forced to hold our hands up at full-time, was actually a well-thought-out plan. And it worked. Not for the first time.
Maybe while jeopardy is still in the room then Farke will always have something to prove as he attempts to avoid the drop for the first time as a Premier League manager, but the fact that fear is not the main character at Leeds right now is due in large part to the German and his decisions. The performances he is getting from a team that buys in and puts their all in without question. Nine points will almost certainly do it and there are 13 opportunities to go and get them. The humble pie could keep coming for Farke's critics and doubters but doesn't it taste sweet?
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