And so, Leeds United pick up where they left off last season, grinding their way to a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest thanks to Anton Stach‘s late free-kick.
It wasn’t pretty, nor was it particularly thrilling, yet that matters little on the opening day, with Daniel Farke’s men once again proving that they’re no pushovers in the Premier League.
It had looked set to be a more comfortable encounter when new man Harry Wilson opened the scoring early on, albeit with the Welshman denied a dream debut by the offside flag.
As was the case for much of last season, the onus fell on that man Stach to conjure up a moment of magic to secure all the points, the German very much heading toward cult hero territory at Elland Road.
Stach’s match-winning City Ground display in numbers
2025/26 ended on a rather serene note, as the Whites comfortably staved off relegation, with Stach proving central to that.
Signed from Hoffenheim on a £17m deal last summer, the towering midfielder proved one of the finds of the season in the Premier League, scoring and assisting eight goals across his 28 starts for Farke’s side, having created nine ‘big chances’ and averaged a standout 2.2 key passes per game.
Now firmly in the picture as one of the division’s leading midfielders, Stach has carried that momentum into the new campaign, producing his latest match-winning moment at the City Ground.
So deadly in general from dead-ball situations due to his wicked delivery, the 27-year-old is an immense goal threat too, having now already scored four direct free-kicks across the last 12 months or so.
This latest effort may well have been aided by the palm of Forest ‘keeper, Matz Sels, but the pace and dip that he managed to get onto the strike was certainly behind the Belgian’s error.
That late winner perhaps also helped to mask what wasn’t necessarily his finest performance in a Leeds shirt, it must be said, with Stach particularly errant in possession, recording just a lowly 55% pass accuracy rate and losing the ball on 19 occasions.
He was, as ever, an asset off the ball, however, having won nine of his 14 attempted duels, while making 11 defensive contributions in total.
|
Stach vs Forest |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Record |
|
Minutes |
90 |
|
Touches |
57 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Pass accuracy |
55% |
|
Possession lost |
19 |
|
Succ. dribbles |
0/1 |
|
Ground duels won |
7/122 |
|
Aerial duels won |
2/2 |
|
Dribbled past |
1 |
It’s also hard to argue with his stellar end product, with that not true of everyone on the day.
The change Farke still needs to make despite Forest win
It was the type of performance that we’ve perhaps come to expect from Farke and co in 2026, the Yorkshire side so difficult to beat, yet at times lacking that ‘wow’ factor in attack.
Recent reports have suggested that the club could even be looking at the likes of AC Milan star Rafael Leao, as well as Marseille’s Igor Paixao, with it evident to see that Wilson alone won’t be enough to beef up this polarising forward line.
Indeed, it was perhaps a typical Brendan Aaronson display too, the American buzzing around in his usual all-action style, yet again found wanting in a creative sense. Ever the man to split opinion.
The £28.5m signing has creditably battled his way back to emerge as a key figure under Farke’s watch, yet the German’s persistence with him does seem a little misguided at times.
The 25-year-old had ended last term with nine goals and assists in the Premier League, yet there was little sign of him adding to that tally, albeit while producing one dipping strike on goal just after the break.
That proved to be his only shot of the game, prior to his withdrawal in the 82nd minute, having failed to register a single key pass or attempt a single cross all afternoon.
Like Stach, he was also rather errant on the ball, losing possession 12 times from his 30 touches, ensuring he lost the ball once every 2.5 touches on average.
Of course, forward players often squander the ball when seeking to create an opening or when looking for a probing forward pass, yet Aaronson hasn’t shown himself to be a man to unlock a defence too regularly.
There is, undoubtedly, plenty to like about what he offers to this team with his energy, mobility and dynamism, with Farke clearly a key supporter of his, considering how regularly he utilises the American.
And yet, there’s always a nagging feeling that an upgrade could still be found in that role, with a forward line of Aaronson, Wilson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin not inspiring too much confidence based on Saturday’s outing.
As was the case just after the hour mark, perhaps it is Wilson who might have to make way for the likes of Noah Okafor, yet the ex-Fulham man showed what his level could be at Craven Cottage last season.
In Aaronson’s case, there’s little evidence to suggest he can ever reach such heights in a creative or goalscoring sense.
