Leeds United marked their return to the Premier League with an accomplished victory as Lukas Nmecha’s late penalty ensured a timid performance from Everton ultimately got what it deserved.

No promoted team won until October last season but after Sunderland’s victory against West Ham on Saturday, Daniel Farke’s men made it two from three with a result few could argue against.

Leeds were magnificent but looked as though they would have to settle for a point before James Tarkowski’s handball with seven minutes left handed Nmecha a chance to mark his debut in style. He duly obliged to spark wild scenes inside Elland Road and suggest that the notion of the three promoted teams heading back down may not be a forgone ­conclusion this season.

In contrast, David Moyes will reflect on this night with great frustration. Everton did not get going all evening and barely mustered a chance of note as their season began with a real whimper. Elland Road will play a huge role in Leeds’ survival hopes this season and on a vociferously loud evening in West Yorkshire, they started in style.

Farke handed out three debuts in his first lineup of the season, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri, defender Gabriel Gudmundsson and midfielder Anton Stach all starting. And the hosts were much the brighter of the two sides in the opening half hour, with everything but a goal to show for some fine work.

There were chances aplenty. Jordan Pickford was forced into action after just seven minutes to deny Joël Piroe following an error from Tarkowski, before a well-worked corner from Leeds saw Ao Tanaka come close to heading in the opener.

The hosts continued to press with plenty of energy and Everton had little in the way of a response. Tanaka had another opportunity as the ball wasn’t cleared after an almighty scramble in the box and the midfielder headed across goal, but no Leeds attacker was on hand to tap into what would an empty net.

The visitors laboured for most of that opening half hour with minimal joy. Beto had been reduced to ploughing a lonely furrow with few touches as Everton opted to try to play out from the back, with new signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall another effectively cut adrift at the top.

In that first 30 minutes, Everton touched the ball in the Leeds penalty area once with the most notable act at that end of the pitch coming when Jack Harrison, back here after a season-long loan with Everton last year, was met with boos from the home support when he exchanged pleasantries with his former teammates.

Leeds’ best chances kept coming from set plays as half-time approached. Another well-taken corner from Stach was flashed across goal by the head of Pascal Struijk before the hosts recycled a long throw-in and Gudmundsson forced a reaction save from Pickford. It was incredibly one-sided, but Leeds needed a goal to show for it. At half-time, they didn’t have one.

The better chances kept coming Leeds’ way after the break, too. Dan James worked an opening before Willy Gnonto fired into Pickford’s side-netting and you wondered whether it was a case of when, not if, Jack Grealish would come on. That question was eventually answered as the game entered the final quarter.

Grealish was summoned with 19 minutes remaining to try to decide a contest in which Everton had barely threatened the Leeds goal. The visitors had certainly stemmed the pressure coming from Leeds compared with the first half but there was little credible threat at the other end.

The most notable moment from the visitors came 10 minutes earlier when the man Grealish replaced, Tim Iroegbunam was booked for a late tackle on Ethan Ampadu that left the Leeds captain in a heap and needing treatment.

Farke responded by introducing three subs of his own including Harrison, whose first Leeds appearance for two years was met with more boos. However, those changes did add zip back into the hosts’ play, with Tanaka firing over from the edge of the area as the game entered the final 10 minutes still firmly in the balance.

But then, with seven minutes to go, came the game’s critical moment. After Carlos Alcaraz slipped in possession inside his own half, Stach’s shot deflected on to the arm of Tarkowski and Chris Kavanagh awarded a penalty. Nmecha, one of those substitutes just on, slotted the ball past Pickford to send Elland Road into delirium.