Farke turnaround sees Leeds aiming to thrive after late winner at Forest

Anton Stach's late free-kick turned a point into three for Leeds United against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in their Premier League opener on Saturday, capping a winning start under manager Daniel Farke.

Leeds' jubilation contrasted sharply with their visit to Nottingham in November 2025, when Lukas Nmecha's early strike was overturned as Forest scored three times to hand Sean Dyche his first victory as Forest manager and deepen relegation fears for Leeds. That November result was expected to kick-start Forest's revival under the third of their four managers last season, but nine months on it is Leeds who appear to have momentum. Farke's side have won five of their past eight league games, collecting 17 points, with only Arsenal (18) having amassed more since the start of April. "I expected a difficult game away at Forest," Farke told BBC Match of the Day after the opening win. "I'm very happy to come away with a cleansheet and compliments to the players."

Leeds finished 14th last season, eight points clear of the drop zone, but their return to the Premier League began poorly with only three wins from their opening 13 matches and eight defeats as pressure mounted on Farke and his squad. The manager's switch from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 formation during a 3-2 defeat by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 29 November proved pivotal; Leeds lost only five times for the remainder of the campaign after that tactical change. "There were times in the first half of last year where we allowed teams to run over us a bit," captain Ethan Ampadu told BBC Final Score. "We wanted to get a bit more solid and put our stamp on the game. We want the ball, we want to be attacking and creative."

Road results were a particular weakness last season, with Leeds winning just two away matches across the 2025-26 campaign, which made the victory at the City Ground particularly satisfying. "Away games in Premier League are always difficult," Farke said. "Sometimes the second year is more difficult. Last season, we picked up many points with draws. On the road, we want to be competitive and be more effective."

After narrowly avoiding relegation, Farke had suggested he might step down if the club failed to match his summer ambitions, saying he is "not the right choice" to lead the club in that case, and the hierarchy responded by spending about £80m on new signings. Three of those recruits started the season opener and provided encouraging signs: goalkeeper James Trafford made three saves in his Leeds United debut, Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic delivered a solid defensive shift and tested Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels with a towering header, and Harry Wilson, who signed for free after 10 goals and seven assists for Fulham last season, was almost rewarded on his debut only to be denied by an offside flag.

Trafford's performance was framed in the context of the transfer fee paid to Manchester City, with the club spending £45m — a record for a British goalkeeper — for his services. Ampadu praised the new arrivals: "From the very first minute they walked into the building, they have shown their quality," he said. "They have shown why they have been brought in to try and help us get to the next level. They've shown that hunger and drive to take Leeds to a better place so that has been very good." Farke echoed those comments: "I am very happy because they have big boots to fill. Trafford is a good player but he hasn't played that many Premier League games, Tarik too. So they both shined and showed why we agreed to sign them, but the whole group was excellent today. Wilson too was excellent. The vibe and mood is good around the place," said Farke, who is now the third-longest-serving manager in the league after Arsenal's Mikel Arteta and Aston Villa's Unai Emery.

With new signings providing immediate impact and existing contributors such as Stach continuing to deliver, Leeds view the opening victory as evidence they can aim for more than mere survival this season. "We know our targets and goals," Ampadu told BBC Final Score. "We want to be a Premier League club next season. We want to achieve that target and then get to a better place. Once that can be achieved, we think of everything else."