Leeds 2-1 Nottingham Forest: Luis Sinisterra stunner lifts Leeds up to 13th in Premier League

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

Jack Wilkinson

@jacktwilkinson

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."

Player ratings...

Leeds: Meslier (6), Ayling (6), Koch (6), Struijk (6), Firpo (6), McKennie (7), Roca (7), Harrison (8), Sinisterra (8), Aaronson (6), Bamford (6).

Subs: Summerville (5), Rodrigo (5), Kristensen (n/a).

Nottingham Forest: Navas (5), Williams (6), Felipe (5), Niakhate (6), Toffolo (6), Mangala (6), Freuler (6), Danilo (6), Johnson (5), Dennis (6), Gibbs-White (5).

Subs: Shelvey (5), Awoniyi (5), Kouyate (5), Scarpa (5), Ayew (5).

Man of the match: Luis Sinisterra

Leeds go marching up the Premier League

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 revitalised, Forest floundering - Opta stats

Leeds have won three of their six Premier League games under Javi Gracia (D1 L2), as many as they had in their previous 22 this season (D7 L12).
Nottingham Forest extended their winless run to eight Premier League games (D3 L5), the longest current run in the division.
Leeds had 21 shots against Nottingham Forest, their most in a single Premier League match since January 2022 (22 vs Burnley).
Nottingham Forest have failed to win more games despite opening the scoring than any other Premier League side this season (8 - D4 L4), while only Leicester (22) have dropped more points from winning positions than Forest (20).

Gracia: Massive moment in Leeds' 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."

Cooper: Forest lacked bravery and courage

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."