'Unbelievable' - Joe Rodon hails Leeds United squad depth after Carabao Cup win at Nottingham Forest

Leeds secured their place in the Carabao Cup third round for the first time since the 2022-23 season with a 2-0 victory over Forest at the City Ground. Daniel James broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a powerful strike past Matz Sels, before James Justin doubled the advantage in the 75th minute. The result sealed back-to-back wins for Leeds on Forest's home turf, coming just three days after their 1-0 Premier League triumph.

Daniel Farke handed starts to James, Noah Okafor, Ao Tanaka, and Lukas Nmecha, alongside a debut in defence for Nico Elvedi. Reflecting on the contest, Rodon paid tribute to James' goalscoring display following an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, while hailing the exceptional quality and collective resolve across the Leeds squad.

Discussing his team-mate's resilience and the immediate impact of the club's summer arrivals, Rodon told ITV Sport: "Injuries are a part of the game, we know what he's capable of, he [James] showed his quality and had a great finish.

"We need everyone, it's a long season, the ability in the squad is unbelievable, we need everyone together. We want to change the mentality, grow again as a group and win as many games as we can. The signings have been top, we want to continue with this momentum."

The visitors' control of the contest was reflected in an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.26 from 13 attempts, compared to the hosts' 0.86 from eight efforts. The defeat further compounds Forest's dismal domestic cup record, with the club having now won just one of their last 10 Carabao Cup ties against fellow top-flight opposition (D2, L7).

Consecutive triumphs at the City Ground provide a welcome morale boost for Farke's men ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash at home to Brentford. Leeds now turn their attention to the upcoming Carabao Cup third-round draw to discover their next opponents. The squad depth on display across both fixtures leaves the Whites well placed to maintain their early-season consistency.