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Relive the key moments as Leeds United secured a late 1-0 victory against Everton.
The banners displayed in The Don Revie Stand greeted Leeds United’s return to the top flight with a resounding question: “Premier League, have you missed us?”
Leeds made a triumphant return, both on and off the field, as Elland Road exuded the fervent atmosphere crucial to their ambitions of remaining in the Premier League.
Fans gathered hours before kick-off at The Old Peacock, savoring their return before a night marked by passion, intensity, and controversy. Lukas Nmecha’s late penalty, which sparked debate, ensured Leeds joined fellow promoted side Sunderland in commencing the season with a win.
Everton, who struggled throughout, and manager David Moyes departed Elland Road feeling aggrieved, convinced that James Tarkowski had no way to avoid contact with Anton Stach’s shot.
Leeds, unconcerned by Everton’s complaints, felt they deserved the victory, establishing a blueprint for defying the recent trend of newly-promoted teams facing immediate relegation, as highlighted here.
Elland Road stands among the most intimidating venues, with “Marching On Together” reverberating before kick-off, providing a surge of adrenaline for the Leeds team already energized by manager Daniel Farke.
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Amidst the fervent atmosphere, Leeds dominated a passive and apprehensive Everton in the first half, with every tackle igniting the crowd, particularly Ethan Ampadu’s robust challenge on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
The concern for Leeds and Farke was their inability to convert first-half dominance into goals, their attack lacking sharpness despite their superiority, with only one of their 12 shots finding the target.
The question was whether they could maintain that intensity after the break. The answer was no.
Instead, Leeds demonstrated other vital qualities, digging deep and doing the necessary work, albeit against a toothless Everton, ultimately securing the win with a dramatic late twist.
New Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri had a comfortable debut, largely untroubled by Everton, with his only save coming from a low shot by Carlos Alcaraz late in the game.
Everton introduced new loan signing Jack Grealish with 20 minutes remaining, but the performance was beyond salvaging, highlighting Moyes’ concerns about the lack of new signings needed at right-back, on the right side, and in central midfield.
Moyes clearly views France under-21 striker Thierno Barry as a developing talent, but it is difficult to imagine him performing worse than Beto at Elland Road.
In contrast, Leeds will be buoyed by the energy emanating from the stands, inspiring Farke’s players. While it is just one game, the belief and optimism generated by the result and performance are invaluable.
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Farke on ‘special’ opening day win against Everton
The statistics further enhance the positive atmosphere, with this being only the third time in Premier League history that at least two newly-promoted teams have won their opening games, previously occurring in 1997-98 and 2021-22.
Prior to this Leeds victory, none of the previous 17 Championship champions had won their first Premier League game the following season. Leeds are the first to achieve this since Sunderland in 2007-08.
Farke expressed his elation, while remaining cautious.
Leeds are off to a strong start and have added Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer to bolster their attack, with hopes that he can remain fit.
In response to the banner’s question, the Premier League has indeed missed the sporting spectacle provided by Elland Road, an experience few teams will relish if this game is any indication.
Leeds face a long season, but this electric atmosphere proves that Elland Road is where many of their battles must be won.
Farke acknowledged the ecstatic Leeds fans after the final whistle. The Kaiser Chiefs’ “I Predict A Riot” echoed through the stadium, as Elland Road celebrated Premier League victory once more.
While history may be against Leeds United in their quest for survival, Elland Road provides a crucial ‘X factor’ that could prove decisive.
For Leeds United, their fans, and Farke, this was the perfect beginning.
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