Leeds take big step towards safety with dominant win over Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Leeds United went nine points clear of the relegation zone after an emphatic 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.

Goals from Jayden Bogle, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin helped the hosts take a big step towards Premier League safety.

Jayden Bogle gave Leeds the advantage in the 26th minute as he got on the end of a fantastic long-range pass from Ilia Gruev. Bogle brought down the pass well and remained composed to tuck the ball past Stefan Ortega at his near post.

Daniel Farke’s side very quickly doubled their lead through Noah Okafor but James Justin deserved enormous credit for his involvement. The Englishman’s initial effort on goal was unlucky not to result in a goal, but he was denied by Ortega. The rebound fell back to Justin, who unselfishly laid the ball off to Okafor, and he made no mistake from close range.

Shortly after play resumed for the second half, Leeds put the game to bed as Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season. It was Gruev again who manufactured the chance with a dinked pass towards the six-yard box, which Calvert-Lewin chested into the back of the net. An unconventional but clever finish from the Leeds forward.

Calvert-Lewin had an earlier chance in the first half that crashed against the crossbar. He towered above the Nottingham Forest defence and powered a header towards goal but was denied by the woodwork.

Leeds nearly had a fourth just after the hour mark as Bogle swung in a dangerous corner. The ball bounced around the six-yard box as Forest failed to clear, but Leeds were unable to get it over the line. Calvert-Lewin threw his body at the ball, but his boot instead caught the face of Gruev, who was down for five minutes.

Sean Dyche’s side managed to get one goal back through January signing Lorenzo Lucca, but it was too little too late from the visitors. Omari Hutchinson put the cross on a plate for Lucca who beat Joe Rodon in the air and nodded the ball past Karl Darlow.

Despite the late goal, Leeds earned the all important three points to go nine points above the drop zone. Nottingham Forest on the other hand remain six points clear but will have one eye on West Ham tomorrow as they face Burnley in another bottom-of-the-table clash.