NafisaAnton Stach produced a stunning late free-kick to hand Leeds United a priceless three points against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground — but Paul Merson has already delivered a warning to Daniel Farke despite the perfect start.
Leeds were made to work extremely hard for their opening Premier League victory, with the contest proving to be a tight and scrappy affair for large periods.
Clear-cut opportunities were at a premium, with both sides struggling to find the decisive moment in the final third.
As the clock continued to tick towards full-time, it appeared increasingly likely that Farke’s side would have to settle for a point on their return to the Premier League.
Then came Stach.
The Leeds midfielder stepped up from a free-kick and produced a moment of genuine quality to send the ball beyond the Forest goalkeeper, sparking wild celebrations among the travelling supporters.
It was precisely the sort of moment Leeds will need throughout the season.
Not every Premier League game will be pretty, and not every opponent will allow Farke’s side to dominate possession or create a succession of chances.
On this occasion, Leeds stayed in the contest, defended when required and eventually found a player capable of producing something special.
The victory also gives Farke’s side the perfect start to their campaign and allows them to carry the momentum generated during an encouraging pre-season into competitive football.
Forest, meanwhile, will feel hard done by.
They matched Leeds for much of the afternoon and will believe they did enough to take something from the game, if not all three points.
But football can be brutally unforgiving, and one moment of brilliance from Stach was enough to settle a contest that looked destined to finish goalless.
Merson, however, has urged Leeds supporters not to get carried away.
The former Arsenal star believes the result was excellent for Farke’s side but warned that the performance itself offered little evidence that Leeds are ready to challenge at the European end of the table.
Speaking on Soccer Saturday, Merson said:
“I’m not sure about that [Leeds challenging for Europe]. They were solid and stuck in there, but I think if anyone deserved to win today it was Forest.
“But Leeds kept going, they kept it tight at the back, and they got their goal at the end.
“I don’t think they will be pulling up any trees if they play like that every week.
“If they play like that every week, then they will be where they were last season.
“I don’t think they will be fighting for relegation because they have got some decent players.
“But they will find it difficult again. It’s a good result for Leeds, but they have got to follow it up when they play Brentford at home.”
It is a fairly harsh assessment considering Leeds have only played one competitive game, but Merson’s wider point is understandable.
Farke will know his team cannot rely on moments of magic every weekend.
At the same time, Leeds supporters will hardly be losing sleep over whether their team impressed Merson after leaving the City Ground with three points in the bag.
The Whites’ away form was one of the areas that required improvement heading into the new campaign, making this result particularly valuable.
The City Ground is hardly an easy place to visit, either.
Leeds did not need to dominate Forest or produce an attacking masterclass. They simply needed to find a way to survive the difficult moments and remain competitive until the final whistle.
They did exactly that.
And having players capable of producing a match-winning moment could become hugely important over the course of the season.
Stach’s free-kick demonstrated that Leeds possess another weapon capable of deciding tight Premier League contests.
Now comes the next test.
Leeds return to Elland Road next weekend to face Brentford, and that game will provide a much better indication of whether Farke’s side can build on their opening-day victory.
For now, though, the Whites have three points, a clean sheet and plenty of confidence.
Merson can have his verdict. Leeds have the win.
Nafisa
