Keeper Keylor Navas stars on debut for Nottingham Forest in victory over Leeds

Transfer window signing pulls off string of vital saves

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper celebrates with new goalkeeper Keylor Navas after his debut in the 1-0 Premier League victory against Leeds United at the City Ground on February 5, 2023. Reuters

Forest manager Steve Cooper with Keylor Navas. PA

Brennan Johnson of Nottingham Forest celebrates after scoring their winner. Getty

Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson scores their winning goal. PA

Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson scores their winner. PA

Brennan Johnson celebrates his goal with his Nottingham Forest teammates. AFP

Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson scores their winner. PA

Nottingham Forest's new goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Getty

Nottingham Forest's goalkeeper Keylor Navas and manager Steve Cooper after the win. AP

Leeds United's Maximilian Wober, left, battles for the ball with Nottingham Forest's Willy Boly and Keylor Navas. PA

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Keylor Navas receives medical attention. PA

Keylor Navas of Nottingham Forest makes a save from Luis Sinisterra of Leeds United. Getty

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Keylor Navas. PA

Nottingham Forest's Keylor Navas makes a save. AP

Leeds United's Tyler Adams reacts after their defeat. AFP

Leeds United's Luke Ayling argues with referee Robert Jones. PA

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch. Getty

Leeds United's Austrian defender Maximilian Wober, left, fights for the ball. AFP

Luke Ayling of Leeds United is challenged by Orel Mangala of Nottingham Forest. Getty

Leeds United's Pascal Struijk is shown a yellow card by referee Robert Jones. Reuters.

Leeds United's Maximilian Wober in action with Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood. Reuters

Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Leeds United's Tyler Adams battle. PA

Leeds striker Wilfried Gnonto and Nottingham Forest's Serge Aurier. AFP

Jack Harrison of Leeds United battles for possession with Serge Aurier of Nottingham Forest. Getty

Nottingham Forest's Serge Aurier in action with Leeds United's Jack Harrison. Reuters

Keylor Navas immediately showed his class on his Nottingham Forest debut as he helped his new club to a 1-0 win over Leeds in a crunch clash at the bottom of the Premier League.

The three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid was part of Forest’s recruitment drive in January, making a loan switch from Paris St Germain, and he produced a string of saves in the first half to keep Leeds at bay.

He had already saved from Luis Sinisterra by the time Brennan Johnson’s 14th-minute goal put Forest ahead and then he kept out Luke Ayling and Willy Gnonto to ensure the three points.

The win is massive for Forest in their bid to move clear of the bottom three and they are now six points above 18th-placed Everton and may now begin to look up rather than down after strengthening their squad last month.

Leeds are definitely looking over their shoulders as after a seventh game without a win they are out of the bottom three on goal difference alone, with two games against Manchester United coming up in the next seven days.

They will live to regret coming up against Navas in this form as they squandered good chances in the first half, but could not find that cutting edge in the second.

Forest enjoyed a busy end to the transfer window as they added three signings on deadline day and brought in Andre Ayew as a free agent two days later.

Highly decorated goalkeeper Navas was the only starter of those and immediately proved his calibre as he was forced into an early save.

Sinisterra darted into the penalty and flicked an effort towards goal but the former Real Madrid man got down well to keep it out.

Forest defender Neco Williams to BBC Sport: "What a debut [for Keylor Navas], massive, massive saves. He kept us in it and we're thankful for him.

"What a career he has had and what a career he is having. It's not easy making your Premier League debut against Leeds.

"The start of the season was tough, no one knew each other it was hard to get the chemistry on and off the pitch. Now we're gelling together and the results are coming."

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Forest took a while to get going but once they did they soon went ahead.

Morgan Gibbs-White sent in a free-kick from the right that went all the way through to Johnson at the far post and the Wales international lashed in a low drive from the edge of the area.

Despite having the advantage, Forest could not take control of the game and Leeds pushed for an equaliser.

They created two big chances within the space of five minutes but could not convert either.

First Sinisterra blazed over Gnonto’s ball back across goal from just six yards out and then Navas came to Forest’s rescue again with another good stop.

Gnonto got in down the left again and squared a ball to Patrick Bamford, who completely missed his kick, but it fell invitingly to Ayling at the far post. However Navas was equal to the shot and palmed it away.

The 36-year-old was being worked hard and he made another save on the stroke of half-time to deny Gnonto’s fierce shot.

Italy forward Gnonto was again causing trouble for Forest early in the second half, but it was the hosts who had a great chance to double their lead.

Gibbs-White sent Neco Williams through on goal but, after lacking the legs to race clear, he cut back on to his left foot and sent his effort clear of the crossbar.

For all of Leeds’ possession they were not creating much and instead it was Forest who were enjoying the better moments in front of goal.

A good chance to seal the win fell to substitute Sam Surridge with 12 minutes remaining, but he curled over from a good position inside the area after being fed by Gibbs-White.

Forest scorer Johnson said: "Leeds are really intensive and we knew they were going to make it hard for us but getting that first goal was vital.

"You can see that the whole team works hard, even in games where we might not have much of the ball. We didn't really look like conceding today. Hopefully, we can keep this going."