Leeds United continued their perfect start to the season with another impressive victory at the City Ground, beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 to book their place in the third round of the League Cup.
Just four days after leaving Nottingham with a 1-0 Premier League victory, Daniel Farke’s side returned to the same stadium and produced another composed performance to defeat Forest once again. Two trips, two wins and two clean sheets. From a Leeds perspective, it is difficult to ask for much more.
With Farke making several changes to his starting XI, this was an opportunity for players on the fringes of the team to show exactly what they could offer. They certainly did that, with Leeds looking comfortable for large periods despite facing a strong Forest side.
The first half was a relatively even contest, but there was plenty for the travelling Leeds supporters to be encouraged by. Daniel James looked dangerous whenever he received the ball, while Lukas Nmecha worked tirelessly up front and Sean Longstaff continued to show his quality in midfield.
At the other end, James Justin produced one of the moments of the half, making a crucial defensive intervention to prevent Forest from taking the lead. Joe Rodon also made an excellent challenge to deny Chris Wood, while James Trafford looked increasingly assured between the posts.
Leeds went into half-time level, but there was a feeling that the breakthrough was there for the taking.
Five minutes after the restart, it arrived.
Sean Longstaff won possession before playing a superb pass into the path of Daniel James. The Welshman raced towards goal and showed brilliant composure to lift the ball over the Forest goalkeeper and into the net.
1-0 Leeds.
It was exactly the start Farke would have wanted to the second half and immediately put the pressure back onto the hosts.
Forest tried to respond, but Leeds stood firm. Trafford produced an excellent save to deny Chris Wood, while the defence continued to deal with Forest’s attacking threat impressively.
Leeds also looked dangerous on the counter-attack, with Noah Okafor going close after being released by Nmecha. The Whites were beginning to find more space as Forest pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
As the clock continued to tick down, Leeds remained disciplined. Farke made changes from the bench to keep the team fresh and maintain control of the game, with Anton Stach, Harry Wilson and Brenden Aaronson all introduced.
Then came the moment that put the tie beyond Forest.
With 15 minutes remaining, an Ethan Ampadu long throw caused chaos inside the Forest penalty area. Tarik Muharemović flicked the ball towards the back post, where Lukas Nmecha battled for possession before James Justin reacted quickest to force the ball over the line.
2-0 Leeds.
For Justin, it was the perfect reward for another excellent performance. He had already made a vital defensive contribution earlier in the match and then stepped up at the other end to effectively seal Leeds’ progression.
From there, Leeds managed the game brilliantly. Forest struggled to create anything clear-cut, while the Whites remained organised and composed until the final whistle.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was brought on late as Leeds comfortably saw out the remaining minutes, with the travelling supporters able to enjoy another victory at the City Ground.
There is plenty to like about this Leeds side already. Farke was able to rotate his squad without weakening the team, the defence recorded another clean sheet, Trafford looked confident in goal and the attack produced enough quality to get the job done.
Most importantly, Leeds are into the third round of the League Cup.
To beat Nottingham Forest twice in four days, away from home, without conceding a single goal is a fantastic achievement. The Premier League victory was impressive, but following it up with another win in the cup shows the mentality and depth within this Leeds squad.
The Whites are marching on, and after two wins from two against Forest, the early signs suggest this could be a very exciting season for Leeds United.
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