Leeds, Aug 19 (IANS) – Lukas Nmecha marked his Leeds United debut in stunning fashion, converting a late penalty to seal a 1-0 victory over Everton as the Whites returned to the Premier League in style.
Signed on a free transfer from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in June, Nmecha came off the bench to break the deadlock in the 84th minute. The forward coolly slotted past Jordan Pickford after James Tarkowski was penalised for handling Anton Stach’s deflected effort.
It was a historic moment for Nmecha, who became the first Leeds substitute to score on his Premier League debut since Alan Smith in 1998, and the first player to score a penalty on debut for the club in the competition.
Elland Road was in full voice as Daniel Farke’s side — crowned Championship winners last season with a record 100 points — showed attacking intent throughout. Despite dominating with nearly 70% possession and 12 first-half attempts, Leeds struggled to find a breakthrough against Everton’s resolute defence until Nmecha’s decisive strike.
Manager Daniel Farke hailed his team’s performance: “It was a hard-fought but well-deserved win. I think we were very dominant in the first half. Normally, at this level, if you don’t take your chances, the momentum can shift — but we kept pushing and got our reward.”
While Leeds kicked off their campaign with three points, Sean Dyche’s Everton will look to bounce back in their first home fixture at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.
