London, Aug 19 (AP) Jack Grealish made his Everton debut, coming on as a second-half substitute, but was unable to inspire the team in a 1-0 defeat to newly promoted Leeds United in the Premier League.
After leaving Manchester City on loan, the England forward, considered a star in English football, looked to rekindle his career but had to settle for a spot on the bench for Everton's opening fixture.
Grealish was introduced in the 71st minute with the score at 0-0 at Elland Road, but he struggled to have a significant impact. The game's critical moment came when Leeds was awarded a penalty after Everton captain James Tarkowski blocked a goal-bound shot with his left arm while leaning towards the ball.
Lukas Nmecha, who was only on the field for six minutes after coming on as a substitute, calmly slotted the penalty past Jordan Pickford. This goal, scored with just his third touch of the ball, secured the win for Leeds in the 84th minute.
Pickford appeared to be consulting his water bottle for advice on potential penalty takers, a tactic he has used while playing for England by listing names and likely shot placements.
"That was just a bit of a bluff, honestly," said Nmecha, a German-born winger who joined on a free transfer from Wolfsburg. "I don't think my name was actually on it."
Everton manager David Moyes voiced his displeasure with the penalty decision, arguing “it wasn't fair” since Tarkowski's arm was not in an unnatural position.
"Tarky's arm was still by his side," Moyes commented. "He wasn't doing anything untoward."
Leeds was making its comeback to the Premier League following a two-year absence and marked the second promoted team to achieve victory in the opening round, following Sunderland's success.
Everton, which failed to register a shot on goal during the first half, will look for improvement on Sunday. They will host Brighton in the first competitive encounter at their new 53,000-seat waterfront stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which replaces the historic Goodison Park as Everton's home.
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