Anton Stach produced a moment of magic from a free-kick to give Leeds United all three points against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on the opening weekend.
It was a tight and scrappy game for much of the afternoon, with neither side creating many clear-cut chances. Just when it looked like the two teams would have to settle for a 0-0 draw, Stach stepped up with a brilliant late strike to send Leeds home with a huge win.
It gives Daniel Farke’s side the perfect start to the new Premier League campaign and allows Leeds to carry the confidence they built during pre-season into the competitive season.
Forest will be disappointed to lose at home, particularly after matching Leeds for most of the game. But in the end, one moment of quality from Stach was enough to settle a contest that looked destined to end all square.
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Paul Merson delivers harsh Leeds United verdict
Former Arsenal star does not want to read too much into Leeds’ win at Forest and feels that kind of performance will keep them where they were last season.
He believes Forest deserved to win the game, and while this is a good result for Leeds, they need to follow this up when they host Brentford at Elland Road next weekend.
Merson said on Soccer Saturday: “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’s a great result for Leeds, but don’t get carried away. It wasn’t great.”
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Leeds couldn’t care less about Paul Merson
Leeds left the City Ground in high spirits after taking all three points from their opening Premier League game of the season.
Their away form was a concern heading into the campaign, so they will not care one bit about how the victory came. A brilliant set-piece from Anton Stach was enough to secure a huge win.
The City Ground is a difficult place for any Premier League side to visit, and Leeds are not going to win every away game by playing beautiful football.
What mattered was their resilience and their ability to stay in the game until a moment of quality arrived. Having a player like Stach, who can produce something special when needed, could prove invaluable in games where Leeds do not necessarily deserve all three points.
