Nottingham Forest 1-0 Leeds: Brennan Johnson nets fine winner as hosts continue their good form

They like to talk about the European Cup in these parts and more than four decades after Nottingham Forest lifted the trophy for the second time, they had a triple winner to thank for earning a vital three points in the battle for survival.

Keylor Navas won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid and at 36 years and 52 days, he was the oldest goalkeeper to make a Premier League debut since Andy Goram for Manchester United in 2001.

Yet following his loan move from Paris St Germain, Navas made a fabulous impact with four first-half saves that enabled Forest to keep their heads above water against Leeds. 

The home side led through Brennan Johnson’s special strike early on and managed to hang on despite Leeds having the lion’s share of possession, and having the game’s best attacking player in Wilfried Gnonto.

This win lifted Forest six points clear of the relegation zone and means Leeds are outside it on goal difference alone. 

Brennan Johnson’s first half volley was enough for Nottingham Forest to secure victory

Boss Jesse Marsch said he had never felt more supported by his board yet unless results improve soon, they will have a tough decision to make, with isolated chants of ‘Marsch out’ from the away end towards full-time. 

Leeds have won only two of their last 17 in the league and are now without top scorer Rodrigo for two months due to an ankle injury. Patrick Bamford had a poor game in his place.

Two minutes in, Navas got Forest out of jail. Errors from centre-backs Willy Boly and Scott McKenna let in Luis Sinisterra, who aimed for the far corner but was denied by Navas.

Leeds were enjoying most of the play yet as has so often been the case this season, they made life hard for themselves.

Pascal Struijk was deceived by Johnson on the left and conceded a foolish free-kick. And when Morgan Gibbs-White delivered, Struijk could only head to Johnson on the edge of the box. The homegrown star’s sweet volley left Illan Meslier with no chance and Forest led. Neither side knew it, but replays suggested Johnson might have been offside in the move that brought the free-kick.

Marsch cut an agitated figure on the touchline as his team’s intelligent build-up was not matched by their finishing. The American felt decisions were going against them, too: Boly’s forearm smash on Wilfried Gnonto somehow went unpunished, and Danilo was perhaps lucky to be given only a yellow card for a dreadful challenge on Struijk.

Leeds’ frustration grew. Luke Ayling found Gnonto on the left, the winger steered the ball across the six-yard box where Sinisterra blasted over – his second golden chance of the half.

Then Patrick Bamford sent Gnonto clear on the left only to miskick the return pass. The loose ball ran to Ayling and Navas rescued his team again. Moments later, Navas clawed away Ayling’s header across goal and took a boot in the face from Boly. Yet he was soon back in action, parrying smartly from Gnonto after Jack Harrison’s lofted pass had Neco Williams in a horrible tangle.

Yet as dominant as Leeds were, they nearly blew it again just before the interval. Meslier came racing to meet an aimless ball from Renan Lodi, only for Chris Wood to get there first and take it past Frenchman. Wood should have picked out a team-mate immediately but dawdled and Leeds got back.

Even though his side were leading, Forest boss Steve Cooper had seen enough. He made a double substitution, sending on Serge Aurier and Jack Colback for Danilo and Orel Mangala, and switched from a midfield diamond to 4-4-1-1 to give his full-backs more protection against Leeds’ wide men.

Marsch continued to fume at the officials when Gnonto was denied a free-kick after a tussle with Aurier, and Tyler Adams appeared to refuse Boly’s offer of a handshake after a foul that earned the Forest man a yellow card.

Yet Leeds would have been better to focus on their own defending. Another hopeful ball over the top caught them square and suddenly Williams – who had been switched from right-back to left midfield – was in on goal. Ayling managed to delay him just enough and the attempted angled chip drifted just over the bar.

Though the visitors were still having plenty of the ball, Cooper’s reshuffle was working, with Aurier policing Gnonto far better than Williams had, and Colback doing plenty of crucial defensive work in central midfield.

Midway through the second half, it was Forest’s turn to be furious with referee Robert Jones. Johnson was held back by Struijk on the touchline only for the defender to avoid a second yellow.

Marsch was a study in anxiety as his team struggled to break through. They were becoming ever more irritable on the pitch, too, with Gnonto lucky not to be punished for booting a stray ball thrown from the crowd, which delayed a Leeds throw-in.

By now Sam Surridge had replaced Wood, who had made an ineffective home debut following his loan move from Newcastle. The substitute should have sealed the points when the ball reached him after Meslier had flapped at a free-kick only to send his effort too high.