Thanks for joining me.
Here is the report.
David Moyes: “Leeds were better than us on the night, especially in the first half. We were better in the second. I think the goal was really harsh. I spoke to the referee, he seems to think if you can lean, your arm can go away. It took a deflection, I don’t know if Tarky would need to have his arm chopped. Tonight, that was a poor decision. VAR had a chance to get that decision right and I think it wasn’t fair. The crowd were probably the ones who were a bit intimidating. We can’t do anything about it now, it’s a poor decision.”
James Tarkowski: “Not a penalty. As soon as the ref blew, I was confident it wold be overturned. The ball is allowed to hit your arm but as long as it’s not in an unnatural position, it’s not handball. The linesman has given it and he’s 45 yards away, it’s a bizarre decision. I can’t understand it.”
Carragher says it is handball.
Neville agrees.
Lukas Nmecha in his very Mancunian accent: “Amazing, really pleased. An amazing three points.
“In the games I have played here, I have always been on the takers’ sheet.
“I normally decide before the game, if I get one where to put it. I just put it hard and low. It was hard to save.
“We had a lot of confidence from winning the league and the way we did it. We didn’t play like a team who had come up, we dominated a lot of the ball.
“I am very confident, if it wasn’t for circumstances, I would have made it here a lot earlier.
“The fans are electric, I’ve not dealt with something like this before.”
Aaron Bower’s report has landed!
Justin Kavanagh pens: “Didn’t Fabian Hurzeler sing and dance with an Austrio-German boy-band called Hübshe Jungs or something? Until the infamous falling out with fellow bandmate Oliver Glasner over “tactical differences.”
Eric Peterson: “Pre-millennium MTV: Music Television in the United States had an alternative-devoted weekly show called 120 minutes. The host: Matt Pinfield, a worthy stunt double for Arne Slot if I’ve ever seen one.”
Daniel Farke seems to have done a good seven or eight laps of honour.
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Leeds are in seventh after today’s win. Will they finish there? Almost certainly not.
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I hope the Kaizer Chiefs get royalties for the amount the music is played at Elland Road.
Stefan Volkmann says: “Complete neutral no skin in the game - seems absolutely stonewall to me. You cannot move your arm towards the ball and use it to block a goalbound shot. It doesn’t matter if your arm is by your side.”
Mixed views on this penalty.
Farke, on the other hand, is absolutely buzzing. He has hugged everyone he can see in a white shirt.
Tarkowski goes over to the officials for a lengthy chat about the decision. He is soon joined by Moyes, who does not look happy.
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Full time: Leeds 1-0 Everton
A game of very fine margins, settled by a debatable penalty. The Premier League truly is back.
90+5 mins: Quite a few emails dropping into my inbox to say it was not a handball. I understand why it was given but still feel it was harsh.
90+4 mins: Longstaff is on for his debut. Tanaka off.
Mary Waltz writes: “We Everton fans can complain all we want about the Handball [armball?] All we like but we really don’t deserve any points from this performance. Tip of the cap to Leeds.”
I’d have said a draw was fair.
90+2 mins: Stach thrashes a shot from 20 yards or so but it is straight at Pickford who fists clear.
Stach has another chance soon after, volleying over from an Aaronson cross.
Colum Fordham writes: “Just tuned into the match and the MBM and have just seen the most ridiculous penalty decision. Tarkovski couldn’t have had his arm more closely attached to his body. And VAR checked it! Seriously?
“I’m a neutral but hope Everton get an equaliser. Otherwise, they’ve been diddled.”
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90 mins: Seven mins added on.
Elland Road is lively.
88 mins: Grealish drifts beyond Bogle, who gets his own back with a foul. It gives Everton a chance to send the ball into the box. Dewsbury-Hall swings it in. The ball pinballs inside the box, Grealish gets a shot away, shooting into the floor. Leeds get it away and it comes back, reaching Tarkowski at the back post but he can’t control his header.
86 mins: Barry is sent on for his debut, Alcaraz is removed.
85 mins: I suspect Farke will say it was a nailed on penalty and Moyes will suggest it was a farce.
GOAL! Leeds 1-0 Everton (Nmecha, pen, 84)
The substitute, on his debut, finds the bottom corner.
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83 mins: VAR is looking to see if the defender pushes his arm out to the left or if he is trying to pull it behind his back.
PENALTY GIVEN!
82 mins: PENALTY TO LEEDS! Stach shoots from 20 yards and hits the arm of Tarkowski, whose arm is a little out of the left.
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81 mins: Grealish looks eager to get on the ball. He drifts out to the touchline to receive a pass and sends another down the line to Garner but his cross is blocked.
80 mins: Grealish does a bit of dribbling and passes to Gueye, who bizarrely kicks it out for a throw. Not the best.
Tanaka has a cracking chance after a nudged pass from Aaronson bounces perfectly for him but the midfielder fires over.
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78 mins: A superb delivery from Dewsbury-Hall reaches O’Brien at the front post but he gets too much on it.
Gruev, Nmecha and Harrison are on, Piroe, Ampaedu and James are off.
Richard Hirst writes: “Grealish booed - for reasons unknown? Every other team’s fans will have good reason. For me ( Fulham) it’s for trying to put Tom Cairney out of the game in the 2018 play off final (oh and the hairstyles haven’t helped).”
Not sure anyone should be booed for having a barber.
76 mins: O’Brien wins a foul on the right flank. Dewsbury-Hall comes over to take it but he can’t beat the first man.
He does better soon after and gets the ball into Alcaraz after neat footwork, allowing the Argentinian to whack a low shot which Perri does well to save.
74 mins: Everton are dominating possession at this stage. I can’t say they are zipping it around, more biding their time. Leeds need to change something. Nmecha, Harrison and Gruev are getting ready.
72 mins: Grealish is final on the pitch. He gets his customary boos for reasons unknown. He seems to have gone out to the left, with Alcaraz down the middle and Ndiaye on the right.
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70 mins: James and Garner collide. It is a foul by the Everton man but the referee misses it. Both players are in pain but get up.
68 mins: Grealish is ready to come on for Iroegbunam. Will Grealish go in as a No 10?
Aaronson on for Gnonto. Gruev has sat back down.
66 mins: O’Brien’s cross is easily caught by Perri, who quickly whacks it up field but Keane is on hand to take control.
64 mins: Tanaka is penalised for a foul on Alcaraz. The Everton man wants a yellow card for the Leeds midfielder but instead gets one of his own. He realises his naivety and shakes the referee’s hand.
Everton get a corner on the right, their first of the match. It comes to nothing.
Gruev and Aaronson primed to come on …
62 mins: “Once Grealish gets on the dynamic will change in favour of Everton,” suggests Bernard McCabe. “It will be hard to hold on to him.”
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60 mins: Ampadu eventually gets up after lengthy treatment. He has a bit of a limp but eventually jogs off to the sidelines.
Leeds have a corner on the right but Everton manage to get it clear.
58 mins: Ampadu is still down and does not look happy. Leeds are preparing Gruev.
57 mins: Iroegbunam flies into a challenge on Ampadu. The Welshman is left on the turf in pain and the Everton man is booked for a reckless foul.
55 mins: Ndiaye does well inside the box and lays the pass off to Gueye, who pings his shot over from 19 yards.
Down the other end, Gnonto takes a fine touch inside the box and gets a shot away, which hits the sidenetting.
I was at a wedding in Germany on Friday with a Leeds-supporting groom. Marching On Together was played a few times at the event.
53 mins: Everton are enjoying more possession here. I wonder if Grealish for Alcaraz at the hour mark might help at this stage.
I’ve had so many managers as musicians suggestions, that I will hold them for full-time because otherwise I won’t mention the football.
51 mins: Tanaka intercepts a pass and quickly plays in Gnonto, who shoots from the edge of the box but it is straight at Pickford.
“I’m pretty sure Pep worked with Brian Eno in Berlin,” writes Gary Naylor.
49 mins: Tarkowski shows his intelligence to intercept a pass aimed for Gnonto. I do feel he is one of the most underrated centre-backs about.
Pickford is nearly caught out when a backpass stops rolling and he is forced to slide out to clear it.
47 mins: Dewsbury-Hall leads the charge towards the Leeds both, he tries to lay it off to Beto, who picks it up but he is too wide and has to turn back.
Second half
Here we go again!
No changes at the break.
Kristof Kuenssler-Mc Ilwain writes: “Would love to see Andoni Iraola play the bass guitar in a Psychedelic Cumbia big band, Oli Glasner has the absolute 80s soft rock energy, and Graham Potter is that friend that carries all the gear inside, but is only allowed to actually play the guitar when nobody else is in the rehearsal room...”
Eric Peterson says: “I don’t understand the hand-wringing about Jack Grealish not starting. If you know the opposition, juiced by promotion and a home opener, is going to be pressuring you like crazy, best not to waste the legs of someone whose best football is with the ball on the wing and a fullback at his mercy. Grealish would’ve been a helpless passenger in that first half. There’ll be chances to play to his strengths once the game settles down and the Leeds fuel tank depletes a bit.”
Grealish warms up at half-time alone and is sent into the changing rooms. Will he come on?
Kári Tulinius emails: “I haven’t been able to shake Louise Taylor’s brilliant description of Daniel Farke as looking like a former heavy metal star. I’ve been thinking about what sorts of bands the premier league managers look like they played for. So far I’ve got: David Moyes, post-punk; Scott Parker, landfill indie; Mikael Arteta, eurodance; Régis Le Bris, math rock; and Fabian Hürzeler, electroclash. Can you think of more?”
I see Mikel Arteta as more of an orchestra conductor.
Half-time reading.
Leeds were the better side in the opening 45 minutes but they did not create anything of note. Everton played with almost zero ambition, so will be very happy with how things are going.
Half time: Leeds 0-0 Everton
No minutes added on.
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44 mins: Ampadu launches a throw into the box but it beats everyone. It reaches Gnonto around 25 yards from goal, from where he shimmies to earn some space but then thrashes his shot over.
42 mins: Everton enjoy a few seconds of possession, taking a little bit of the sting out of the game. I suspect they will be happy to reach half-time goalless.
40 mins: Peter Oh says: “I suppose your update on 30 mins is not the one-touch football that Everton fans are hoping for.”
I’m not sure there’s been a second yet …
38 mins: The resulting corner is another dangerous one but O’Brien wins the header at the back post.
Leeds keep the pressure on and Pickford is forced into a mildly bizarre save, sliding out and punching the ball clear from a deflected effort.
36 mins: James attacks a good cross from the left but sees it late, gets a jab at the ball, only to see it deflected wide.
“Sorry for Richard Hirst (2 mins),” writes Jeremy Boyce, “but Dunc and Bites yer legs attitude and actions are consigned to the history book. You can’t even mither the ref these days, let alone chin or cripple someone. Footie is so woke these days. No wonder Trump wants in.”
The game truly has gone when you can’t bite an opponent.
34 mins: Perri takes a bad touch and the ball goes out of play and it should be a corner to Everton but the officials fail to notice.
Bill Neely suggests: “62% possession … it’s pretty much like Leeds’ statistic in the Championship last year, but the issue is one Everton counter-attack and it’s one-nil to the away side. Leeds have to make all this possession and all this pressure count. If they can’t win this one, with so much possession, pressure and the home crowd behind them, what game will they win?”
Everton not looking like much of a threat on the counter currently, at least.
32 mins: Tanaka might be a little bored here because he for some reason decides to shoot from 35 yards and it goes miles wide.
Ezra Finkelstein says: “Great to be back in the Premier League as a Leeds fan. Tanaka and Gnonto look at home here under the bright lights.”
30 mins: Everton have had one touch in the Leeds penalty box. Not what they want.
28 mins: The cameras focus on Grealish, who looks like he is offering some tactical analysis to a member of staff. You’d have to assume he will get some minutes here.
26 mins: Mary Waltz says: “All credit to the Leeds pressure but c’mon Everton. You will eventually need to enter the other half of the field to win this fixture.”
24 mins: There is no obvious attacking plan from Everton here. Their latest attack involved hitting the channels. Is that still a thing?
22 mins: James sends in a far better cross on this occasion. It has plenty of pace and Piroe diverts towards goal but his shot is blocked.
20 mins: Everton’s main attacking ploy seems to be to whack the ball out to the right to O’Brien and hope he can produce something.
James gets a chance to attack Garner and drills a low cross but it is not a great delivery and Everton clear their lines.
18 mins: Everton are seriously struggling to get out of their own half here. I think they might want to get Dewsbury-Hall on the ball more.
16 mins: Chaos in the Everton boss. An inswinger corner is not cleared and comes back into the box, Pickford comes to claim but it reaches Tanaka first. The midfielder nods it back across the six-yard box, but Everton scramble clear.
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14 mins: Leeds are putting the pressure on Everton and the crowd are loving it. They have a second corner in quick succession … but it comes to nothing. Leeds do, however, quickly win the ball back.
12 mins: Leeds are looking the brighter side here. A little more zip and intent about their play. Gnonto goes down the left and gets to the byline but his cross is turned behind at the last second.
10 mins: Gudmundsson sprints towards O’Brien to whack the ball behind the Everton net for a goal-kick, much to the delight of the home fans. Everyone likes aggressive.
Leeds win the ball back in the Everton half, getting it up to Piroe quickly, he gets it out of his feet and fires at goal, only to see his shot deflected wide.
8 mins: Everton are looking to play out from the back here, rather than trying to find Beto as soon as possible, leaving him a touch isolated.
6 mins: BIG CHANCE! Gnonto fires a pass into the box, which Tarkowski can’t intercept, allowing Piroe a shot from close range but Pickford is out quickly to block. The corner is dangerous but the goalkeeper once again comes up big when required.
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4 mins: Everton are also looking pretty aggressive in their play, eager to give Leeds as little to cheer about as possible.
2 mins: The Leeds fans are understandably up for it, and the players don’t look too far behind them.
Garner starts on the left-hand side of defence for Everton. Let’s see how that works out.
“I was disappointed at the lack of s..thousery at Old Trafford yesterday,” says Richard Hirst, “but I’m sure I can rely on the heirs of Big Dunc and Bites Yer Legs to give us plenty of Scenes Nobody Wants To See. So come on dogs of war and hard but fair, get stuck in.
“On a completely different note, it’s great to see Mary Waltz back and on form.”
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
Here come the teams …
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Matt Burtz writes: “I wish you had been on Football Weekly’s preview of Everton because I almost threw my phone threw the window when I heard that two of the panelists thought Everton would go down. This team finished with the joint fourth fewest goals allowed last season, and if they had had any semblance of an attack in the first half they could have challenged for the European places. (Their xG per 90 minutes was only slightly worse than that of Nottingham Forest.) Moyes did a remarkable job of steering the ship to competence and then safety, in that order, and with the new acquisitions I’m hopeful that a top ten finish is in the cards.”
I’ve just had a look at my prediction on the table and I said 11th.
Gary Neville is caught on camera announcing “they are the one group of fans I wouldn’t go anywhere near” when the home crowd is on screen.
Get your fill from the weekend’s action.
David Moyes on Beto: “If you look at Beto’s goals last season, he was incredible when I arrived. I felt in pre-season we didn’t score any goals, and I was critical of him as I wanted him to get off to a good start. Beto did well for us last season and there’s no reason to change him.”
“Greetings from California,” says Mary Waltz. “This Everton fan is so hyped about the new stadium. stadiums don’t put goals in the net. But it will give them the economic heft to keep talent and attract talent as well. Watching Richarlison score on that amazing bicycle kick was so bittersweet because he used to be ours, not Spurs. COYB.”
“Evening, Will,” writes Ian Copestake. “Glad to see Leeds investing in physical players.rather than AI-generated ones.”
Jeremy Boyce emails: “Not So Nasty As They Used To Be Leeds fan here, sweltering in the south of France. Interesting to see that the whole narrative is now about Jackie boy (must have a good PR), a good job well done given his wasted years at the Etihad and drunken car crash. When actually the narrative is that, a year ago, before the return of laser-eyes Moyes to his spiritual home, Leeds would have seen this as a given three points welcome home to the promised land. With or without Grealish this will be a stern, laser-eyed test of their credentials. They’ll be already looking forward to the visit of West Ham later in the season.”
I would argue, he did win quite a lot while he was there, including one excellent season. He started – and won – a Champions League final.
A lot of the pre-match talk around Finch Farm was about Jack Grealish.
Daniel Farke says the Leeds squad will be competitive for the opening games until the international break but if they want to survive in the Premier League, they need to invest. Glorious honest from the Leeds head coach.
Jack Harrison is on the bench for Leeds. He last played for the club in 2023 and has spent the past two seasons out on loan … at Everton.
Pre-match reading:
No Calvert-Lewin at all for Leeds, and Grealish is on the bench for Everton. We do have debuts for Perri, Gudmundsson and Stach for the hosts, while Dewsbury-Hall is in for the Toffees.
Lineups
Leeds: Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Ampadu, Tanaka, Stach; James, Piroe, Gnonto
Subs: Darlow, Byram, Bornauw, Longstaff, Ramazani, Harrison, Nmecha, Gruev, Aaronson
Everton: Pickford, Garner, Keane, Tarkowski, O’Brien; Dewsbury-Hall, Iroegbunam, Gueye; Alcaraz, Beto, Ndiaye
Subs: Travers, Tyrer, McNeil, Barry, Chermiti, Grealish, Coleman, Armstrong, Onyango
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Preamble
The Premier League is back in town at Elland Road. After two seasons away, Leeds will desperately be hoping they stay longer than a year at the top table. Daniel Farke’s plan to try and make that a serious possibility has seen investment over the summer in physical players, ensuring Leeds can cope with what this division has to offer. The most recent man through the door, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, certainly has the capabilities of being an asset, especially because he cost them absolutely nothing. After missing pre-season, it would seem unlikely he will be starting in tonight’s opener but we will see if he is called upon off the bench against his former club Everton.
Everton supporters were potentially expecting a few more arrivals to add to the positivity surrounding new owners and stadium. It was a bit of a slow burner but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish seem like smart additions, along with new forward Thierno Barry. The start of recent seasons has been surrounded with questions over whether the team can survive another year in the Premier League but under David Moyes, those fears have dissipated and they are finally looking up.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
