Keen to write the wrongs of the heavy Elland Road defeat against Arsenal in January’s final Premier League encounter, February began with the Whites hosting a Nottingham Forest side they were competing with in the bid to avoid the drop.
Under the Friday night lights, Daniel Farke’s men drew first blood with full-back Jayden Bogle opening his top-flight account for the campaign with a composed finish under the onrushing Stefan Ortega. Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin got in on the action either side of the break, too, and despite a late consolation for the visitors, Leeds held firm to secure a crucial three points in the battle for survival.
“You see it on my smile, I think it was a really important game for us,” Swiss international Okafor said after the full-time whistle. “From the first second on, we knew we had to be ready. We gave everything and we are really, really happy about the three points.
“I feel really comfortable. Every morning when I wake up, I go to training with a smile. So, I think we have an unbelievable atmosphere in the dressing room, in the training each day, each and every day. I think this shows us also the performance on the pitch. Now we have just to keep going like this and train every day hard and looking forward for the next game.”
Then, two goals down at Stamford Bridge the next time out, that camaraderie the forward alluded to was evident as a depleted Whites team battled back to draw 2-2 with Chelsea. Lukas Nmecha reduced the arrears with a composed spot-kick before Okafor netted perhaps the campaign’s most bizarre goal, tapping home after a scramble in the middle involving Bogle and the first goalscorer had ensued.
“A proper night of football,” Farke told LUTV. “Of course, a great night for everyone who is involved with Leeds United. I am very proud of my players and just have compliments for them for such a fight back. It was, of course, a difficult game here at Chelsea as a newly promoted side to have to come here and have to play in a game with several key players out – Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach, Pascal Struijk, more or less our whole backbone of the team missing.
“And of course the quality that Chelsea has, if you then go 2-0 down of course can be also sometimes a long night but our players have this never say die attitude. We always have this self-belief that whatever happens we always can come back.”
From there, attentions once more switched to the Emirates FA Cup which saw United progress on penalties after facing a very stubborn and resolute Birmingham City outfit on the road. In the shootout, Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri proved to be the hero, making a fine save to put Leeds’ name in the hat for the Fifth Round draw.
The following trip to Villa Park made it successive weekends in the West Midlands for the Whites who took the lead against the Blues’ city rivals with one of the greatest goals in the club’s history.
When Anton Stach lined a free-kick up 40 yards out, few would have even imagined the Germany international would try to test Emiliano Martínez. Fewer could have foreseen what would unfold. The midfielder curled an outrageous strike into the postage stamp, helping his team collect a valuable point.
“I just came back from injury so I have not had enough time to practice but before the free kick they asked, yeah, maybe you go second post,” he laughed, discussing the effort that would go on to be crowned Goal of the Season. “But then I saw that the goalkeeper had been lurking for the second post. I just tried it because why not and then it worked out.”
Bogle added: “I think it was fantastic, the goal. I have got no words for the man. I couldn’t believe it when it went in. I don’t think anyone realised he had scored for about five seconds but, yeah, his performance was fantastic – his energy with the ball, without the ball.”
Despite an impressive display in the month’s final encounter against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the Whites fell to a narrow defeat, ensuring they finished the month in 15th with 10 Premier League fixtures remaining.
