'Horrific' - Leeds United match-winner Lukas Nmecha's brutal self-assessment in Fulham winner build-up
The Leeds United striker produced a late winner off the bench against Fulham on Saturday.
Leeds United striker Lukas Nmecha admits his first three touches against Fulham were ‘horrific’ but it mattered little when he scored a second late Elland Road winner of the season.
Nmecha came off the bench with nine minutes of regular time left on Saturday - replacing Jayden Bogle - but didn’t get off to the best start, giving the ball away three times in quick succession. Manager Daniel Farke joked his striker’s opening three touches were ‘not world class’ but Leeds kept pressing for an opener and got their reward in added-time.
Having got in front of Fulham defender Timothy Castagne with a great piece of movement, Nmecha only needed one touch to poke home Ethan Ampadu’s tempting cross. The 27-year-old’s fifth goal of the campaign proved to be a second late decider at Elland Road, sitting alongside his opening-weekend penalty against Everton.
“I think it was a very good win, an important win,” Nmecha said. “We did well to get the points. Luckily, it dropped to me after I had taken three horrific touches in a row!
“But, yeah, I am really pleased. The ball just dropped to me. I think Dom [Calvert-Lewin] made a good run to the front post, kind of took the attention away from me and, yeah, it just dropped on my feet.”
Nmecha’s late effort handed Leeds a deserved victory on Saturday, with only one team chasing the three points during a second-half dominated by the home side. Brenden Aaronson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Pascal Struijk were all guilty of squandering chances but Farke’s side kept pushing.
After full-time, the Whites boss labelled it one of the season’s best wins after Leeds lost Anton Stach and Jaka Bijol to muscle injuries in Friday’s training session. And Nmecha admits the victory felt particularly sweet as well, having lost in heart-breaking fashion at Craven Cottage.
What late Fulham win meant to Lukas Nmecha
They didn’t dominate in the same way at Fulham but were well worth a point until Gabriel Gudmundsson’s late own-goal. This time it was Leeds celebrating, with Nmecha adding: “Given the first game against Fulham, with the late loss, it was nice to get a late win and take all the points.”
Victory proved to be hugely important in keeping Leeds away from immediate danger, with 18th-placed West Ham United also winning late on at Tottenham Hotspur. With that result matched, the Whites remain two places and eight points clear of the relegation zone with 16 games to play.
Leeds did pull further away from 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who held Arsenal to a goalless draw at the City Ground, while Burnley and Wolves also drew against Liverpool and Newcastle United respectively. Farke’s side now have a full week to rest and prepare before their trip to Everton next Monday.
The Whites boss will hope to have Stach back in contention following a minor adductor strain. Bijol, however, could be out for several weeks having picked up a hamstring injury on Friday.