Leeds 3-1 Nottingham Forest: Premier League - as it happened

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And just like that the match report has landed via Aaron Bower in wet West Yorkshire. Leeds United end the night dancing in the rain, having struck a telling blow in the scrap for Premier League survival. It may not be an enjoyable weekend for Nottingham Forest fans after a limp display from their team tonight.

That concludes our live blog for this evening. Thanks, as ever, for reading and for your emails. Until next time!

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“A massive three points,” is the verdict from James Justin, speaking to Sky Sports on the pitch afterwards. “I wouldn’t say we blew them away but we understood what we needed to do. It was nice to score three goals at home. There’s something special about night games here [at Elland Road].”

On Leeds’ next assignment away at Chelsea in midweek, he says: “We’re not afraid of anyone in this league. It’s another chance to pick up points.”

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Nottingham Forest fans will now fear getting dragged into a relegation battle. All their eyes will be on Turf Moor tomorrow where West Ham – in-form West Ham – can cut the deficit to just three points.

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I Predict A Riot blares out at Elland Road to celebrate the fact Leeds United are now nine points clear of the bottom three, on 29 points with 13 games of the season to go. Safety is within their grasp, credit must go to Daniel Farke for that.

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FT: Leeds 3-1 Nottingham Forest

The whistle is blown and Leeds fans can start their Friday night party. They are deserved winners this evening after a first-half blitz from which Nottingham Forest never recovered. The wing-backs Bogle and Gudmunsson were both excellent, the former opening the scoring with a smart run and finish, with Noah Okafor slamming home a second before Dominic Calvert-Lewin got his customary goal to make 3-0.

Forest showed the odd glimpse and pulled a late goal back via the debutant Lorenzo Lucca, but Sean Dyche’s men were a distant second best for the majority of the game.

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Updated at 17.07 EST

90 mins + 7: Aina skews another shot wide. Forest could be just three points clear of the drop zone if West Ham beat Burnley tomorrow.

Sangaré then wriggles away from a challenge and shoots on the turn, Darlow saving well.

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Updated at 16.56 EST

Jayden Bogle is the latest Leeds player to leave stage left to an almighty roar. I must say his attacking output has really surprised me tonight; he’s played like a genuine right-winger and is another contender for the POTM award, surely.

Sebastiaan Bornauw gets a couple of minutes.

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90 mins +4: The Leeds backline is dropping ever deeper, but Forest just don’t have it in their locker to break them down tonight. Fire up the Kaiser Chiefs, I think the points are safe, Whites fans.

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90 mins +2: Forest can’t get the ball right now, Leeds are doing a great job of managing the game.

Well, they were until Longstaff charged into the back of Ryan Yates to concede a free-kick.

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NINE MINUTES added on. Yeah, that’s not gone down too well among the Leeds faithful. Either they’re keen to catch the train home or they worried about a late show from Forest.

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90 mins: We’re going to get a hefty chunk of added time because of that injury to Gruev and how long it took to treat him. So perhaps the home fans aren’t resting easy just yet.

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Ola Aina has a pop at goal and the ball, I think, lands somewhere between Dewsbury and Halifax. (He skied it)

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88 mins: The big Italian is certainly an outlet with his towering frame. He’s had a journeyman career mainly in Serie A but at least offers Forest a point of difference.

Bogle tackles Ndoye brilliantly, but concedes a corner. Another chance here perhaps?

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GOAL! Leeds 3-1 Nottingham Forest (Lucca, 86)

Well there is one back for the visitors as Lucca sorts himself out this time and glances home an excellent header from Hutchinson’s swinging cross. He’s off the mark in the Premier League.

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Updated at 17.01 EST

Leeds have had 14 shots to Forest’s 12 and five on target to Forest’s four. Strange how statistics can often be misleading.

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84 mins: A spell of champagne football from Leeds nearly brings about another Calvert-Lewin chance. James has brought an injection of pace to the latter stages of this game. A nightmare for a tiring and defeated Forest defence.

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82 mins: Okafor trudges off for Leeds after a mammoth effort – he’s getting a standing ovation, deservedly so, for his efforts. Longstaff comes on.

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80 mins: Lucca looks an awkward customer up front for Forest … and not necessarily in a good way. He’s all elbows, and in this game has had trouble sorting his body out to take the ball under control, fouling Gudmunsson just now to halt any Forest momentum.

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78 mins: It should be 3-1. Ndoye cuts in from the left and puts an inch-perfect cross into the box. It’s begging for someone in a Forest shirt to nod it home, but nobody obliges. Morato was closest, but no cigar.

Dan James gets a big cheer as he makes his Leeds return off the subs’ bench.

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77 mins: Ilia Gruev has probably been Player of the Match tonight you know. He’s been indefatigable, continuing to hunt for a potential third assist of the evening.

For Forest, Netz is on for his debut, replacing the beleaguered youngster Abbott.

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76 mins: Anderson does well to peel around the back post and keep a corner kick alive, with Ndoye eventually leaning back and skying his shot over from the edge of the box. That’s as close as Forest have come since the break.

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74 mins: The delays keep on coming; Zach Abbott has a spot of cramp and needs a helping hand from his teammates as Forest prepare to send in a corner.

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73 mins: Gruev has some tissue stuck up his nose and a new shirt on, so he must be fine to continue. On we go.

Leeds’ players remain in the wars, as Aaronson takes a kick to the midriff.

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72 mins: We’re still not back under way. The medical team are rightly taking their time with Gruev – a concussion check is part of all this – as the cameras pan to a stern looking Edu Gaspar in the crowd.

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This doesn’t look great for Gruev, by the way. Hope he’s OK.

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67 mins: Wow, Forest are removing Gibbs-White for Ryan Yates. Ndoye comes on for Hudson-Odoi, too.

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66 mins: Another Leeds corner isn’t dealt with this time by Forest and it pinballs around the box for a bit until Gibbs-White brings it clear.

Lucca almost latches on to a couple of crosses from either side, but it fizzles out for Forest and play will stop for a moment as Gruev receives some treatment. He took a bash in that earlier goalmouth scramble.

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Updated at 17.03 EST

64 mins: This must be grim watching for Sean Dyche right now. In contrast, every call Daniel Farke has made has paid off with interest. 4-0 looks likelier than 3-1.

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63 mins: The problem for Forest is that they’re semi-pressing with five players, so the backline is easily exposed by a vertical Leeds pass.

Sangaré shows his frustration by piling into Aaronson and earning a deserved yellow card. That’s reckless you know. VAR has had a little look, but it will remain a yellow.

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61 mins: Forest had to begin the second half well to stand any chance, but they’ve been dreadful in truth. They’ve afforded Leeds way too much space.

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Tony Hughes poses a thinker:

He had to take the offer of course, as we all would have, however what would the footballing world look like for Kalvin Phillips today had he remained with Leeds?

They probably wouldn’t be 3-0 up right now? I jest, I jest.

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58 mins: I’m beginning to think Milenkovic without Murillo is like fish without chips, like Lennon without McCartney, like Anderson without Broad … you get the picture.

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57 mins: Ampadu’s long throw goes through a crowd of bodies and almost brings about another Leeds chance. This Forest defence is looking like one that has never played together before.

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56 mins: Scarves are being waved and songs are being sung all around Elland Road now. It’s going to be a very lively night in west Yorkshire, unless Forest produce something out of the ordinary.

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54 mins: Forest are going to bring on Lorenzo Lucca, the beanpole striker on loan from Napoli. Omari Hutchinson is also introduced, with Igor Jesus and Nicolás Domínguez the men sacrificed. Sean Dyche had to do something.

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Leeds fan Michael Street is cockahoop:

You mentioned in the preamble (and refer again to it later) that Leeds have a lot of defenders on the pitch... I think you’re missing the point that you are including two wing backs - and they operate more as wingers!

It’s true, Michael, both Bogle and Gudmunsson have been very forward-thinking tonight, offering the extra men in attack for Leeds.

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I was about to write about how I thought Elliot Anderson was very good in the first half. He’s so tidy in possession and energetic to the extreme, so much so that it sometimes looks like his teammates aren’t doing enough.

However, a rare mistake on the ball started that Leeds attack down their right, with Bogle snapping around his ankles and later keeping it going for the hosts.

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GOAL! Leeds 3-0 Nottingham Forest (Calvert-Lewin, 49)

That could be game, set and match! Leeds keep the attack alive and as the shot comes in, Calvert-Lewin gets a telling touch to direct it home!

HE’S CHESTED THAT IN! From Gruev’s left-footed shot.

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Updated at 16.30 EST

46 mins: There’s a bit of chat about the pitch being fairly heavy and hence the players are expected to fatigue a bit quicker than usual. Even more reason for Forest to make some subs, you would think.

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Updated at 16.04 EST

Second half: We’re back under way. Is there any way back for Nottingham Forest tonight?

No changes yet from Dyche.

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An email praising Ilia Gruev from Justin Kavanagh:

What a ball that was from Ilia Gruev to put Jayden Bogle in the clear for the first goal! To pitch a ball with backspin like that holds up even on a wet pitch was a thing of real beauty.

To think that some Leeds fans were more than dubious about Gruev’s inclusion in the starting lineup tonight.

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A pair of specs and a half-time cuppa have been supplied. I’m living the dream now …

Unlike Sean Dyche. But what can he and Nottingham Forest do to change things at the break? It may be harsh as he’s not done terribly but it may be worth hooking young Abbott. Forest paid a couple of million for Luca Netz – a specialist left-back – on deadline day so surely it’s worth playing him?

Nicolás Domínguez has looked a little lost on the right flank too, so perhaps either Ndoye or Hutchinson could provide some genuine width there. Let’s see what Dychey does.

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I’d suggest that was a very watchable 45 minutes of football but not everyone is impressed, it seems.

“You promised us gnarl but so far the delivery has been disappointing,” emails Richard Hirst. “You’re not even distracting me from the bizarre outfits at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Must do better!”

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HT: Leeds 2-0 Forest.

Advantage Daniel Farke’s side at the break. They’ve shown intensity at the right times and used a surge of momentum from the home crowd to shock the visitors and bag a rapid-fire second. As it stands, they’ll be nine points clear of the relegation zone.

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I will switch to the glasses at half-time. Just to allay your fears.

One added minute.

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44 mins: Darlow saves a deflected Gibbs-White effort! The keeper did well to adjust his dive. It could be that my contact lenses have been in too long today, but I will say it again … Forest look quite unlucky to be 2-0 down.

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43 mins: Barring the opening 10 minutes and that five-minute spell when Leeds looked utterly unstoppable and scored twice, Forest have actually held their own well in this game. 2-0 isn’t truly reflective of the game.

It’s not been a complete onslaught.

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Updated at 15.43 EST

40 mins: Sangaré hits a couple of speculative efforts in the general direction of Darlow’s goal. Neither ever looked like troubling the Leeds custodian.

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39 mins: A Forest corner is whipped in by Anderson. The England midfielder gets it back and tries a similar cross but, after the headed clearance, here come Leeds on the counter through Aaronson. The home side have all the answers at the moment.

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37 mins: Before kick-off I questioned the number of defensive-minded players had Daniel Farke picked, but everything about Leeds tonight has screamed positivity and aggression. It just proves football is not all about shape and tactics; Leeds’ mentality has been spot-on so far and they’re clearly buoyed by their crowd in these home night matches.

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35 mins: In Gibbs-White and Anderson, Forest have two really capable ball-players who can haul them back into this match – if only they could find them on the ball more often.

Abbott is penalised for a foul on Okafor just to worsen Dyche’s growing rage.

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33 mins: Forest are wobbling big time here. Sean Dyche barks a few hurried and worried instructions at his players. They need a period of calm.

It’s a strange one as the visitors were actually growing into the contest just before that Jayden Bogle opener.

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James Justin saw his shot parried and intelligently squared it as the ball rebounded back to him, to Okafor in the centre and the Swiss international could hardly miss.

A double salvo from Leeds! If Elland Road had a roof, it’d be coming off right now.

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GOAL! Leeds 2-0 Nottingham Forest (Okafor, 30)

That’s got the crowd bouncing and Leeds clearly sense their opportunity to use the momentum and grab a quickfire second. And they’ve got it! Ortega saves the initial shot but it was pulled back for Okafor to steer home to make it 2-0!

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Updated at 15.55 EST

29 mins: Dart player and huge Leeds fan Luke Humphries shows his approval from the directors’ box. Insert joke about hitting the bullseye.

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Brilliant from Bogle with his left foot to slide it past Ortega. The goalkeeper was caught in no-man’s land, but take nothing away from the Gruev pass to pick out Bogle’s run. The wing-back then resembled a sniping striker with the way he tucked it home.

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