Leeds United vs Nottingham Forest. Premier League.
Elland RoadAttendance36,740.
Match report and free match highlights as Luis Sinisterra and Jack Harrison inspire first-half Leeds comeback to floor Nottingham Forest; Orel Mangala opener cancelled out as Leeds soar up to 13th in Premier League; Forest sit above relegation zone on goal difference
Wednesday 5 April 2023 12:08, UK
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper insisted he was not worried for his future after a 2-1 defeat at Leeds extended his side's winless run to eight matches.
Forest slumped to a fourth straight league defeat on the road and sit above the bottom three on goal difference alone after letting slip the lead against their relegation rivals at Elland Road.
Orel Mangala's first goal for Forest gave them an early lead, but Leeds hit back with first-half strikes from Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra to deservedly clinch a crucial win that moved them up to 13th in the table, four places and two points ahead of Forest.
Asked if he was worried about his position, Cooper said: "I respect the question and I understand it 100 per cent, but I'm not that guy that thinks like that.
"I always think of the greater good of the club, so any sort of worry, disappointment, frustration I'm feeling right now is the fact that Forest have lost a game they could have done so much better in.
"That's just the way I'm wired. I've trained myself just to focus on the stuff I can control and work as hard as I can every single day, believe in my work and stay true to it. That's just where I'm at."
An expectant Elland Road crowd inspired Leeds to a blistering start but they were silenced inside 12 minutes. Emmanuel Dennis, who had seen an earlier close-range shot cannon off the post, turned provider on the counter, picking out Mangala on the edge of the area, who clinically dispatched Forest's opener past Illan Meslier.
Forest's lead would last all of eight minutes. Marc Roca's long-range strike proved too hot for goalkeeper Navas to handle and Harrison reacted first to ram home his fourth Premier League goal of the season on the rebound.
Forest retained a threat on the counter but Leeds' grip on the contest only strengthened once parity was restored and there was a growing sense inside Elland Road another goal was imminent.
After Patrick Bamford and Sinisterra passed up presentable chances, Leeds finally underlined their authority on the cusp of half-time when the Colombia international cut inside off the left flank and rifled an unstoppable effort into the far corner.
Moussa Niakhate's last-ditch tackle prevented Bamford from extending Leeds' lead early in the second half as the hosts picked up from where they left off before the break.
Sinisterra nearly had the home fans off their seats for the second time with another curled effort and Bamford lashed a glorious chance wide as Leeds hunted a game-clinching third.
But despite Neco Williams and substitutes Jonjo Shelvey, Gustavo Scarpa and Andre Ayew all seeing shots blocked in late on, Leeds weather to Forest fightback to secure their seventh league win of the season.
Leeds United manager Javi Gracia: "I'm very pleased because it was a very good performance. As a consequence, we got a good result and made a very important step. To get this win with our supporters in this moment is massive.
"The most important thing for us is to play with our supporters, their support is invaluable. The quality is there [to sustain survival bid]. I have very good players with high quality, their commitment and desire is very high.
"Points are always important, but they are even more important when there are 10 games to go. For the confidence and spirit of the team it's always important to get good results and keep things going."
Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper: "We had a decent enough start getting the goal, but our failure to build on that is really what has cost us.
"From the goal to half-time we really fell short with that performance. We didn't show enough bravery with the ball, not enough technique or courage, and for that we didn't manage to build any momentum.
"At the same time, without the ball we were too passive, there was too much space between lines, and we were too easy to beat. We gave Leeds momentum and rhythm, and they made the most of it."
Leeds host Crystal Palace on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm; kick-off 2pm.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest travel to Aston Villa on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.
April 4: Nottingham Forest (H) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
April 9: Crystal Palace (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm
April 17: Liverpool (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
April 22: Fulham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm
April 25: Leicester City (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm
April 30: Bournemouth (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm
May 7: Man City (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
May 13: Newcastle (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: West Ham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
April 8: Aston Villa (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 16: Man United (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
April 22: Liverpool (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 26: Brighton (H) - Premier League, kick-off 7.30pm
April 29: Brentford (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 8: Southampton (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
May 13: Chelsea (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Arsenal (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Crystal Palace (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
