It was a night when Nottingham Forest had the chance to save Steve Cooper’s job. Instead, the eventual verdict may be that they saved Leeds United’s season. In February, they struck the final blow to finish off Jesse Marsch, who was sacked after defeat at the City Ground.
Leeds rather fell on their feet when, after a chaotic search for a successor, they settled for Javi Gracia, but the smiling Spaniard has proved the upgrade they required, as Forest can now testify.
Beating Cooper’s team took Gracia’s return to three wins from six league games, which stands in stark contrast to Marsch’s two from his last 17, and has reshaped the relegation battle. Leeds are out of the bottom three, up to the dizzy heights of 13th. The picture changes so frequently there is no finality to it, but Forest now feel in greater danger of the drop.
It was a meeting of clubs defined, albeit in very different ways, by Brian Clough and there was a time when Forest were such fine travellers they conquered Europe twice. Now they possess the worst away record in the Premier League and even as the lowest scorers on the road in the country they took the lead, then squandered it. Thereafter, Leeds were relentless.
They continue to be a byword for entertainment and energy. There are games where Gracia has sought to add more control, altering the kick-and-rush style of Marsch, but this was one where they sensed Forest, now winless in eight outings, were there for the taking and subjected them to an assault.
This was a victory with Gracia’s stamp on it. He shows more willingness to alter his team with the opposition in mind and, while his wingers were the match-winners, it was instructive he opted to invert them. The left-footed Jack Harrison excelled on the right. The right-footed Luis Sinisterra starred on the left.
Harrison has been rejuvenated by Gracia’s appointment and scored his third goal in four games. Sinisterra had not struck in the league since September but after scoring 23 times for Feyenoord last season, arrived with the promise he could be a prolific replacement for Raphinha. That has not materialised yet but this was not a night when Leeds needed to feel nostalgic about the departed Brazilian. Sinisterra was sublime, his talent apparent in his footwork and his finishing. He tormented Neco Williams and was close to a second goal with a sublime curler.
He may be an example of the latent potential in the squad, the sense the group of players was better than the meagre tally of wins under Marsch suggested. The American had flagship triumphs over Chelsea and Liverpool: pragmatically, however, Gracia’s wins may be more valuable as he has defeated relegation rivals in Southampton, Wolves and now Forest.
If a criticism of Marsch was that Leeds were unable to respond when they went behind against Forest two months ago, the rematch brought an impressive reaction. Forest were terrific, but for 11 minutes, in which they scored once and were inches from having a two-goal lead. Thereafter, Leeds were rampant and dominant.
Forest, meanwhile, were complicit in their downfall. They proved rather too passive as they stood off Leeds and Marc Roca was allowed to shoot. Keylor Navas parried his drive but pushed it out to Harrison, who drilled in his effort. Then, as half-time beckoned, Sinisterra struck. The Colombian jinked past Williams and cut infield to use his favoured foot and found the far corner of the net.
There ought to have been more goals. Roca was terrific in midfield, bringing positive passing. Patrick Bamford was restored to the side after Gracia started without a specialist striker at Arsenal, and he dragged a half-volley wide. They amassed 21 shots.
They don’t do dull. Their last four games have produced 18 goals, which scarcely suggests the chaos under Marcelo Bielsa and Marsch has been consigned to the past, but there are attempts to bring more order and Forest rarely threatened to equalise.
The worst part for Leeds came first. Emmanuel Dennis hooked a shot against the post after Morgan Gibbs-White’s corner bounced off Bamford’s chest and fell obligingly. Then Dennis, who started superbly, supplied a cutback, Orel Mangala fooled Sinisterra with a dummy and provided a precise finish for his first Forest goal and just their fifth away from home.
Respite beckoned for Cooper; instead, just as was the case in February, defeat in a meeting of these teams made a manager’s position feel increasingly precarious - and the layout of the relegation battle altogether altered once more.
