Leeds United Stun Nottingham Forest with Late Winner
Anton Stach needed one swing of his left boot to rip up the script at the City Ground.
With 88 minutes gone, Nottingham Forest were pushing, Leeds United were hanging on, and the home fans were waiting for the breakthrough that had felt inevitable all afternoon. Instead, Stach stepped up to a free kick on the corner of the box and drilled a low effort inside Matz Sels’ near post. One clean strike. One brutal twist. Leeds’ first league win at Forest since 1972, sealed in a heartbeat.
For Daniel Farke, it was the perfect – and frankly improbable – way to launch a Premier League campaign. For Oliver Glasner and Forest, it was a chilling echo of last season: pressure, territory, chances… and nothing to show for it.
Forest dominate, Leeds survive
The opening was flat, the kind of cagey start that suits the away side. Then Forest flicked the switch.
On 16 minutes, Ola Aina hurled a long throw into the Leeds area. Igor Jesus met it with a firm header, only for James Trafford to spring to his right and claw the ball away. It was the first warning for Leeds, and it would not be the last.
Soon after, the City Ground held its breath as Aina flew into a challenge on James Justin. A VAR check for serious foul play followed; Forest escaped, the tackle deemed legal enough to stand. The noise rose. So did the tempo.
Leeds thought they’d fallen behind midway through the half when Harry Wilson slid the ball home, only for the flag to go up. The offside call was clear, but the pattern was not: Forest were on the front foot, Leeds were retreating.
The pressure cranked up again on 40 minutes. James McAtee whipped in a superb delivery, Nikola Milenkovic glanced his header beyond Trafford, and the ball smacked against the post. It dropped invitingly for Jesus, who could only stab the rebound wide. Another chance gone, another groan from the home crowd.
Same story after the break
The interval did nothing to shift the flow. Forest came out with the same plan: crosses, chaos, and a constant aerial assault on the Leeds back line.
Early in the second half, Aina again found space on the flank and swung in another teasing ball. Jesus rose but got his header horribly wrong, bouncing it down into the turf and over the bar from close range. The look on his face told the story. Forest were creating enough to win two games; they were finishing like a side still in pre-season.
Glasner turned to his bench and sent on Chris Wood. The former Leeds striker almost delivered the scriptwriter’s dream. Murillo split the visitors’ defence with a sharp through ball, Wood strode into the box, but dragged his shot wide of the far post. Hands on head. Another one gone.
Forest’s ambition is clear: a top-half finish, a new identity under Glasner. Yet the starting XI contained no new signings, and the old problems resurfaced. Territory without a killer touch. Control without conviction in front of goal.
Leeds ride the storm – then strike
For long spells it was one-way traffic, but Leeds still carried a threat when they finally ventured forward with purpose.
From one of their rare forays, a set-piece almost flipped the game. A deep delivery found Tarik Muharemovic, whose header forced Sels into a full-stretch, flying save. It was a reminder that Forest’s dominance came with risk: leave the door ajar and someone might walk through it.
Forest kept coming. Milenkovic rose again, this time sending a looping effort towards the top corner. Trafford, backpedalling, managed to get enough on it to tip the ball onto the crossbar. The City Ground groaned once more. Leeds clung on.
And then, with two minutes of normal time left, the punishment arrived.
Leeds won a free kick tight to the corner of the penalty area. The angle looked awkward for a shot, but Stach saw a gap and went for it. He whipped a low effort towards the near post, catching Sels out. The ball skidded past the Belgian and into the net. The away end exploded, white shirts piling towards the corner flag in disbelief as much as delight.
Smash-and-grab barely covers it. Forest had peppered the Leeds box with crosses, hit the woodwork twice, and watched chance after chance go begging. Leeds had one clear opening from a dead ball and made it count.
A familiar frustration, a timely boost
For Forest, the sense of déjà vu will sting. Ambitions of climbing into the top half remain, but the wastefulness that dogged them last season has not yet been shaken off. No goals, no points, and a reminder that dominance means nothing without ruthlessness.
Leeds, who only just escaped the relegation scrap last term, walk away with something far more valuable than three points: belief. They were second-best for long stretches, yet they defended with resilience, trusted their goalkeeper, and seized their moment when it came.
The two sides meet again on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup. Forest will demand a reaction. Leeds will arrive knowing they’ve already stolen one result at the City Ground.
The question now is simple: will Forest finally find their finish, or will this become the theme of their season?
