Leeds United defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0 in their Premier League opener on August 22, 2026, with Anton Stach scoring a late free-kick winner at the City Ground [1, 2, 3]. Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford made key saves, including one against Ola Aina, helping preserve the clean sheet in the match [2, 4, 5].
Nottingham Forest entered the game under a new manager, Oliver Glasner, in his first competitive match after a turbulent previous season [2, 4]. Despite showing effort and creating some chances, Forest looked underwhelming and in need of more consistency, with Nikola Milenkovic hitting the post from a header and Igor Jesus missing a good opportunity [2, 4]. Glasner said after the game, "There is no button to press. There are still a lot of things to do," reflecting the team's ongoing rebuilding process [2].
Four days later, on August 25, Leeds United won again against Forest, beating them 2-0 in the Carabao Cup second round, also at the City Ground [6, 7, 8]. Dan James scored the opener in the 50th minute. The second goal was originally given as an own goal but later credited to James Justin [6, 7, 8, 5].
Leeds have made major summer investments, spending roughly €100 million, including signing goalkeeper James Trafford, Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic for €40 million, and Nico Elvedi [4, 9]. Captain Ethan Ampadu said, "We know our targets and goals. We want to be a Premier League club next season. We want to achieve that target and then get to a better place." [9]
Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, have agreed a £45 million deal for Chelsea striker Liam Delap as they seek to strengthen their squad [5]. The club also sold midfielder Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116 million last season [2].
Leeds had not won at the City Ground since 1972 before these back-to-back victories, marking a significant achievement for the club [5]. The Premier League opener win and the League Cup progression against the same opponent set a positive tone for Leeds' campaign.
Leeds will now prepare for their next Premier League fixture aiming to maintain their strong start, while Nottingham Forest continue to work on team cohesion under Glasner's leadership.
