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Nmecha's late penalty earns Leeds win over Everton in Premier League return

Nmecha's late penalty earns Leeds win over Everton in Premier League return

Hans Indiaa day ago
Leeds: Lukas Nmecha enjoyed a dream Leeds United debut as his late penalty helped the club began their 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a memorable 1-0 victory over Everton.
Nmecha, who joined Daniel Farke's side on a free transfer in June after leaving Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, came off the bench to slot home from the spot in the 84th minute.
Having won the Championship title with 100 points last season, Leeds played with a swagger at a buoyant Elland Road, but it looked like they would have to settle for a point as a stubborn Everton defence dug in.
However, the decisive moment came when James Tarkowski was penalised for handball from Anton Stach's deflected drive, and Nmecha held his nerve to beat Jordan Pickford, Premier League reports.
Nmecha became the first Leeds substitute to score on his Premier League debut since Alan Smith in November 1998, while he's the first player to score a penalty on his debut for the club in the competition.
As Leeds United marked their return to the Premier League with a victory, the manager Daniel Farke was delighted with the Whites' performance.
'I think overall in a tight game, a hard-fought win but also a well-deserved win from my side,' Farke told the media.
'Outstanding performance. I think we were very dominant in the first half and had nearly 70 per cent possession, 12 shots already in the first half."
'I was a bit worried because especially as a newly promoted side, once you have such a dominant period, and it was more or less the whole first half that we dominated, normally you have to reward yourself also with the goal because at Premier League level one little moment can change your whole momentum," he added.
While Leeds are up and running, Everton will approach their first Premier League game at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday without a point to their name.
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