Dominic Calvert-Lewin's late equaliser secured a 1-1 draw for Leeds United against Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. Kevin Schade had given the visitors a first-half lead at Elland Road, but Calvert-Lewin's 79th-minute strike earned a point for the hosts in their opening home game of the season, as reported by BBC Sport Football.
Brentford began the new campaign sitting fourth in the Premier League with four points from two games, their recent form reading DW. They had scored four goals and conceded just one, leaving them with a +3 goal difference and only two points behind leaders Manchester City. This match was their first in the league after starting with a pair of victories.
How did the match unfold?
The first half belonged to Brentford. They controlled the tempo and were rewarded five minutes before the interval. Kevin Schade found the net to give Thomas Frank's side a deserved 1-0 lead at the break. Leeds manager Daniel Farke responded with significant changes at halftime, switching to a 4-3-3 formation and introducing Ao Tanaka and Harry Wilson for Jaka Bijol and Brenden Aaronson. An earlier first-half substitution had seen Nico Elvedi replace Joe Rodon.
Leeds improved after the break and their pressure told with just over ten minutes remaining. Substitute Lukas Nmecha delivered a low cross into the box and Dominic Calvert-Lewin was there to fire home, scoring his first goal of the season. Daniel James also came on in the second half as Leeds pushed for a winner, but a hard-earned point was the final outcome.
What did the managers say after the game?
Leeds boss Daniel Farke acknowledged the difficulty of the contest. "It’s definitely a good point," Farke said. "It was a very difficult and complicated game like we expected." The result meant both sides remained unbeaten after the opening weekend of Premier League action.
Where does this leave Brentford?
The draw means Brentford have taken five points from their first three matches. They face a quick turnaround with their next fixture at home to Sunderland on September 5th. Sunderland currently sit 11th in the table. Brentford will be without Antoni Milambo and Sepp van den Berg for that match, as both players are currently sidelined. Fans can track the team's availability on our injuries page.
Despite dropping two points late on, the performance at Elland Road showed Brentford's resilience. They had previously beaten Tottenham and Birmingham City, netting nine goals across those two games including a 9-0 win over Birmingham. The club will look to build on this solid start when they return to home action. You can view the full schedule on our fixtures page and check the latest league positions in our standings section.
