Leeds 1-1 Brentford: Calvert-Lewin Rescues a Point Elland Road Had No Right To Expect

Dominic Calvert-Lewin with Leeds United supporters. His equaliser against Brentford was his first goal of the season. Photo: Timmy96, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

At half-time every Leeds supporter in Elland Road was doing the same arithmetic, and it was not about whether Brentford would win. It was about by how many.

Leeds did not have a single shot on target in the first 45 minutes. Kevin Schade had flicked Brentford in front, neatly, and the visitors were better in every part of the pitch. The game finished 1-1.

Calvert-Lewin, finally

The turn came slowly. Daniel Farke's side defended the waves rather than trying to stop them, and somewhere around the hour the crowd started to believe. That noise reached the players before the goal did.

Lukas Nmecha crossed. Dominic Calvert-Lewin tapped in. First of the season for the England striker, and Leeds were level with plenty of time to look for more.

James Trafford kept them level almost immediately with a fine save from Igor Thiago's header, and by the closing minutes it was Brentford hanging on. Calvert-Lewin had a late effort stopped by Caoimhin Kelleher, though the flag was up anyway.

Two unbeaten sides, two different feelings

Leeds beat Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend and have four points from two games. On the balance of play here, one of those is a gift. Farke was honest enough afterwards: "They were the better side."

Brentford will feel worse about this than Leeds do. They beat Tottenham 3-0 in their opener and dominated two thirds of this match without turning it into anything more than a one-goal lead. That is the lesson, and it is not a new one.

Mamadou Sangare was again the best thing about them. He caught the eye against Spurs and ran this game for long stretches. On two performances he looks like one of the better bits of business anyone did this summer.

Where it goes next

Trafford was voted man of the match, which tells you plenty about the first hour. Leeds fans will not care. A point earned from a position that looked hopeless is worth more to a promoted side than the underlying numbers suggest, and Elland Road on a night when the crowd drags a result out of the team is a real asset.

Brentford host Sunderland on Saturday 5 September at 15:00 BST. Leeds travel to Brighton at the same time.