Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates scoring towards Nottingham Forest. Photograph: AFP
LEEDS:
Leeds bolstered their bid for Premier League survival with an important 3-1 win towards relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on Friday.
Daniel Farke’s facet struck twice within the 4 minutes within the first half by Jayden Bogle and Noah Okafor.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin bagged Leeds’ third after the interval at Elland Street. Lorenzo Lucca’s late debut purpose was no comfort for woeful Forest.
Leeds moved 9 factors away from the relegation zone.
Fourth-bottom Forest sit six factors above third-bottom West Ham, who can shut the hole in the event that they win a vital conflict at second-bottom Burnley on Saturday.
Farke mentioned earlier this week that 12 factors from the remaining 14 video games ought to assure Leeds keep away from a direct return to the Championship.
Their first win in three league matches was an enormous step in the direction of that concentrate on.
“We confirmed an important mentality, an important spirit. It was the opposite facet of us, the combating edge. An ideal win,” Farke mentioned.
“Elland Street is a fortress. If we ship performances like this we now have likelihood to remain up.”
Forest’s first defeat in 5 league video games was a symptom of their enforced reshuffle on the again
Stefan Ortega, deputising for injured keeper Matz Sels, was enjoying within the Premier League for the primary time since April 2025, whereas teenage right-back Zach Abbott made his first top-flight begin with Murillo and Neco Williams unavailable.
“We have had late adjustments which isn’t excellent. You have to do the fundamentals and we did not do them,” Forest boss Sean Dyche mentioned.
“The objectives are terrible from our requirements. You may’t give away probabilities like that at this degree.”
Leeds swiftly uncovered Forest’s delicate centre as Calvert-Lewin thumped a close-range header towards the bar, with the ball bouncing down inches from crossing the road.
Farke’s facet did not should rue that miss for lengthy as they took the lead within the twenty sixth minute.
Bogle made a well-timed burst onto Ilia Gruev’s pin-point go over the Forest defence and the defender saved his cool to beat Ortega with a low end on the close to submit.
Roared on by their followers, Leeds struck once more simply 4 minutes later.
James Justin wriggled free contained in the Forest space and when his shot was saved by Ortega, he had the presence of thoughts to sq. the rebound to Okafor, who slotted residence from 10 yards.
Calvert-Lewin put the end result past doubt within the forty ninth minute, utilizing a intelligent chested end to information Gruev’s cross previous Ortega from close-range for his tenth league purpose this time period.
Lucca’s glancing header from Omari Hutchinson’s cross confirmed the leading edge that Forest lacked for the earlier 85 minutes.
