Leeds, Aug 30: Newly-promoted Leeds United produced a spirited defensive display to hold Newcastle United to a goalless draw in their Premier League clash at Elland Road on Saturday evening.
The contest, billed as an early test for Eddie Howe’s men still searching for their first win of the 2025/26 campaign, proved to be a cagey affair with few clear opportunities for either side.
Leeds, buoyed by a noisy home crowd and fielding former Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff from the start, looked organised and determined throughout.
For Newcastle, winger Jacob Murphy posed the biggest threat on his return to the starting line-up, but the Magpies lacked the cutting edge to convert half-chances into goals.
Murphy tested Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri twice, but the Brazilian stood firm to keep the visitors at bay.
The first half unfolded with little goalmouth action. Tino Livramento, lively down the left, drove Newcastle forward on multiple occasions.
His clever cutback almost found Will Osula before the Danish forward conceded a foul while battling for position with Kieran Trippier’s cross.
Leeds, meanwhile, carved out openings of their own. Anton Stach saw one effort blocked en route to Nick Pope’s goal, before attempting a disguised free kick that failed to trouble the Newcastle stopper.
Both sides threatened intermittently before the break. Osula’s shot on the turn was deflected narrowly wide by Leeds left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson, who moments later delivered a teasing ball into the box that Dan James could not quite convert at full stretch. Newcastle’s closest effort came when Fabian Schär’s looping attempt, deflected on its way, forced Perri into a scrambling retreat before it bounced onto the roof of the net.
Howe introduced Lewis Miley for debutant Ramsey at half-time, hoping to inject urgency into Newcastle’s midfield, but Daniel Farke’s Leeds continued to grow in confidence.
Jayden Bogle’s powerful strike sailed well over the crossbar, while Murphy again drew a sharp stop from Perri with a left-footed drive.
Seeking more attacking impetus, Howe reshuffled late on, introducing Harvey Barnes and Lewis Hall, but their impact was limited.
Hall’s long-range effort soared harmlessly over, and as time ticked away, it was Newcastle’s goalkeeper who produced the defining save of the night.
Pope, largely untested until then, denied Dominic Calvert-Lewin with his feet in the closing stages to ensure the Magpies returned home with at least a point.
The result leaves Newcastle still searching for their first victory of the season, with the draw extending a frustrating start to their campaign.
For Leeds, however, the evening marked another step forward in their top-flight return.
Solid at the back and disciplined in midfield, Farke’s side showed resilience that will encourage their supporters for the challenges ahead.
While the scoreline reflected a lack of cutting edge from both teams, the battling nature of the contest ensured plenty of endeavour if not quality.
For Howe’s Newcastle, the wait for a first win goes on, while Leeds will take pride in keeping one of the league’s fancied sides at bay on a night where organisation triumphed over flair.
