Lukas Nmecha Holds Nerve To Sink Everton And Crown Leeds’ Return To Big Time

Leeds United marked their return to nan Premier League pinch an accomplished triumph arsenic Lukas Nmecha’s precocious punishment ensured a timid capacity from Everton yet sewage what it deserved.

No promoted squad won until October past play but aft Sunderland’s triumph against West Ham connected Saturday, Daniel Farke’s men made it 2 from 3 pinch a consequence fewer could reason against.

Leeds were magnificent but looked arsenic though they would person to settee for a constituent earlier James Tarkowski’s handball pinch 7 minutes near handed Nmecha a chance to people his debut successful style. He duly obliged to spark chaotic scenes wrong Elland Road and propose that nan conception of nan 3 promoted teams heading backmost down whitethorn not beryllium a forgone ­conclusion this season.

In contrast, David Moyes will bespeak connected this nighttime pinch awesome frustration. Everton did not get going each evening and hardly mustered a chance of statement arsenic their play began pinch a existent whimper. Elland Road will play a immense domiciled successful Leeds’ endurance hopes this play and connected a vociferously large evening successful West Yorkshire, they started successful style.

Farke handed retired 3 debuts successful his first lineup of nan season, pinch goalkeeper Lucas Perri, defender Gabriel Gudmundsson and midfielder Anton Stach each starting. And nan hosts were overmuch nan brighter of nan 2 sides successful nan opening half hour, pinch everything but a extremity to show for immoderate good work.

There were chances aplenty. Jordan Pickford was forced into action aft conscionable 7 minutes to contradict Joël Piroe pursuing an correction from Tarkowski, earlier a well-worked area from Leeds saw Ao Tanaka travel adjacent to heading successful nan opener.

Jack Grealish came connected pinch 19 minutes near for his Everton debut but could do small to power nan game. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The hosts continued to property pinch plentifulness of power and Everton had small successful nan measurement of a response. Tanaka had different opportunity arsenic nan shot wasn’t cleared aft an almighty scramble successful nan container and nan midfielder headed crossed goal, but nary Leeds attacker was connected manus to pat into what would an quiet net.

The visitors laboured for astir of that opening half hr pinch minimal joy. Beto had been reduced to ploughing a lonely furrow pinch fewer touches arsenic Everton opted to effort to play retired from nan back, pinch caller signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall different efficaciously trim adrift astatine nan top.

In that first 30 minutes, Everton touched nan shot successful nan Leeds punishment area erstwhile pinch nan astir notable enactment astatine that extremity of nan transportation coming erstwhile Jack Harrison, backmost present aft a season-long indebtedness pinch Everton past year, was met pinch boos from nan location support erstwhile he exchanged pleasantries pinch his erstwhile teammates.

Leeds’ champion chances kept coming from group plays arsenic half-time approached. Another well-taken area from Stach was flashed crossed extremity by nan caput of Pascal Struijk earlier nan hosts recycled a agelong throw-in and Gudmundsson forced a guidance prevention from Pickford. It was incredibly one-sided, but Leeds needed a extremity to show for it. At half-time, they didn’t person one.

The amended chances kept coming Leeds’ measurement aft nan break, too. Dan James worked an opening earlier Willy Gnonto fired into Pickford’s side-netting and you wondered whether it was a lawsuit of when, not if, Jack Grealish would travel on. That mobility was yet answered arsenic nan crippled entered nan last quarter.

Grealish was summoned pinch 19 minutes remaining to effort to determine a title successful which Everton had hardly threatened nan Leeds goal. The visitors had surely stemmed nan unit coming from Leeds compared pinch nan first half but location was small reliable threat astatine nan different end.

The astir notable infinitesimal from nan visitors came 10 minutes earlier erstwhile nan man Grealish replaced, Tim Iroegbunam was booked for a precocious tackle connected Ethan Ampadu that near nan Leeds skipper successful a heap and needing treatment.

Farke responded by introducing 3 subs of his ain including Harrison, whose first Leeds quality for 2 years was met pinch much boos. However, those changes did adhd zip backmost into nan hosts’ play, pinch Tanaka firing complete from nan separator of nan area arsenic nan crippled entered nan last 10 minutes still firmly successful nan balance.

But then, pinch 7 minutes to go, came nan game’s captious moment. After Carlos Alcaraz slipped successful possession wrong his ain half, Stach’s changeable deflected connected to nan limb of Tarkowski and Chris Kavanagh awarded a penalty. Nmecha, 1 of those substitutes conscionable on, slotted nan shot past Pickford to nonstop Elland Road into delirium.