Away end scenes, Oliver Glasner joke and Leeds United, Sunderland fans crossover in off-camera Forest moments

Leeds United got their second season back in the Premier League off to the perfect start with a last gasp 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest thanks to a brilliant late Anton Stach free-kick. In the end, it was a good day for all of United’s players and one in particular but not an ex-Whites man. Here’s the YEP’s take.

Good day

James Trafford

Every Leeds United player in the end as they all did their bit to dig in en route to a 1-0 victory but it felt like the club’s new no 1 James Trafford was the main difference maker. His excellent save in the first half felt like a big moment at the time and so it proved. Thereafter, as Farke alluded to himself, it wasn’t the sort of game where Trafford had to pull off ten worldies but the record signing just exuded a calm confidence between the sticks and generally got in the way time and time again amid a sea of bodies when Forest launched balls into the Leeds box. His distribution was also good and it’s noticeable how many times his clearances find Dominic Calvert-Lewin. A first clean sheet already and surely many more to come. Watch out David Raya.

Bad Day

Chris Wood

Stach was actually having a rare off-day in midfield and Farke was thinking about taking him off but the midfielder’s name was suddenly up in lights after his brilliant free-kick which put a totally a difference gloss on the game as a whole as one point became three. But it could have been a different story had former Leeds striker Chris Wood taken his big opportunity shortly after coming on midway through the second half. It was a bit of a surprise that Wood didn’t start but he looked set to make a huge impact when squeezing in between Jaka Bijol and Tarik Muharemovic and bearing down on goal. Wood, though, flashed his powerful shot wide and in a game of small margins it was a costly miss.

Off-camera moments

Trafford striding out on to the City Ground turf with purpose as Leeds checked out the pitch on arriving at the ground in a manner which was then to be reflected in his performance.

United’s latest summer signing Nico Elvedi looking like an absolute unit as he took to the pitch beforehand and chatted at length with Tarik Muharemovic.

Sean Longstaff and Ao Tanaka sharing some sort of joke in the warm up. They are having to settle for substitute roles at present but both looked in very good spirits.

Daniel Farke’s fury at Ola Aina’s challenge on James Justin early in the first half. Farke and his Leeds players were clearly not happy with the tackle and Aina looked pretty lucky to just get a yellow after the intervention of VAR.

The absolute limbs in the away end after Stach’s free-kick which was scored right in front of them or to the side of them with just two minutes left.

Elvedi getting stripped down and ready to make his Leeds United debut deep in second half stoppage time only for the full-time whistle to beat him to it.

Wild celebrations in the away end after the full-time whistle with arms and legs everywhere amid a sea of yellow shirts.

New signings Muharemovic, Wilson, Trafford and even Elvedi pushed forward one at a time to salute the crowd before Farke’s turn at the end.

Glasner arriving for his post-match press conference after Farke and joking that he didn’t need to do one as there couldn’t be two different opinions about this sort of game.

Leeds and Sunderland fans crossing over on trains on the way back up north, Sunderland on the long trek back from Ipswich after an opening day 2-1 defeat. There was a bit of banter as fans of the Black Cats and Whites encountered each other on a packed LNER back from London Kings Cross as Leeds supporters joined at Grantham but it all seemed good natured and Sunderland’s fans seemed more excited about their forthcoming Europa League adventure than anything else. Whisper it quietly but maybe it will be Leeds United’s turn in future years next.