On his debut for Nottingham Forest, Keylor Navas produced many outstanding saves to help his new team defeat Leeds 1-0 in the Premier League and move further away from the drop zone on Sunday.
Brennan Johnson scored the game-winning goal for Forest in the 14th minute, but the home team’s third victory in their last four league games was also made possible by the signing of multiple Champions League champion Navas from Paris Saint-Germain this past week on the final day of the January transfer window.
The 36-year-old Costa Rican star had a particularly busy first half, with his best save stopping Wilfried Gnonto and Luke Ayling.
In the first half, Leeds produced chances at will, but after the break, when Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, a debutant American midfielder, entered the game, it became more difficult for Leeds to get past Forest.
Leeds barely partially cleared a free kick to the edge of the area, where Wales forward Johnson guided a low, first-time shot narrowly inside the near post.
As the promoted squad continues to bounce back after a sluggish start to the season on its return to the top division after 23 years away, Forest moved into 13th place, six points above the relegation zone.