At long last, Nottingham Forest gave their fans something to smile about, ending a painful nine-game winless streak in the Premier League with a strong 3-1 win over Leeds United at the City Ground following their disappointing 0-0 draw in the Europa League, as reported by softfootball earlier this week.
The game started surprisingly open. You’d think with both teams near the bottom, it would be tense and cautious, but no, it was lively from the start. Inside the first two minutes, Morgan Gibbs-White had a go from outside the box, forcing Lucas Perri into an early save.
Leeds, though, hit back with the first real blow. Lukas Nmecha found space on the right and drilled a low shot across Matz Sels into the bottom corner. That made it 1-0, and honestly, it felt like the mood around the club but also stretched their unbeaten home run against the Whites to 14 matches, not bad for a side that’s been under pressure lately. More frustration was coming for Forest.
More frustration was coming for Forest, but credit to Sean Dyche’s men, they didn’t sulk. Barely a few minutes later, Dan Ndoye’s cross was spilt by Perri, and Ibrahim Sangaré reacted quickest to slot home from close range. His first goal for the club, and you could feel the lift it gave the crowd.
The second half wasn’t as wild. The tempo dropped, both sides tightened up a bit, and you could sense the tension again. Leeds, who’ve struggled badly to score after halftime this season, just couldn’t find that cutting edge. Forest made them pay as Omari Hutchinson sent in a teasing ball that Gibbs-White met with a neat header to put the hosts in front, making the score 2-1.
The hosts, who failed to hold onto their 2-1 lead against Manchester United in their previous Premier League outing that ended in a draw, showed much better defensive discipline against Leeds today.
Leeds tried to respond late on, Dan James forcing a save from Sels, but it was too little too late. When Jack Harrison clipped Hutchinson in the box, Elliot Anderson stepped up and buried the penalty to seal it. Omari Hutchinson was voted man of the match; this was confirmed by forest via their official X account
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Forest still sit 19th, but this win means something: confidence, energy, and maybe a turning point under Dyche. Leeds, meanwhile, have now lost back-to-back games and will be looking nervously at the table again.
