Leeds United overturned Manchester United with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford, in an utterly impressive performance.
Daniel Farke’s men shocked an undercooked Man Utd side in the first half. Despite taking a comfortable 2-0 lead into half-time thanks to a Noah Okafor brace, Leeds could have led by more.
Perhaps it was a result of Man Utd playing for the first time in 24 days. Or the fact that Michael Carrick didn’t expect Farke’s side to produce such intensity and tactical nous. Either way, Leeds were deserved winners.
Man Utd gave the ball away countless times in the match, an indication that it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing. And things were made worse when Lisandro Martinez was sent off in the second half.
Strangely, this was when Man Utd woke up. Carrick rolled the dice, throwing men forward with the Beno Fernandes x Casemiro connection pulling a goal back.
Man Utd could have equalised late on with headers from Benjamin Sesko and Casemiro. But Leeds were smart enough to take the sting out of the game and get a crucial win in their relegation battle.
How Leeds shocked Old Trafford
Error-prone Man Utd
It can’t be emphasised enough how bad Man Utd were in the first half. They lacked intensity and constantly gave teh ball away in silly positions. Leeds were well worth their lead thanks to a brilliant tactical setup.
It could, and possibly should, have been much worse for Man Utd. Particularly when a miscommunication between Senne Lammens and Leny Yoro led to Ao Tanaka rounding the goalkeeper, but Martinez’s block stopped him from making it three.
Carrick’s reig has seen much success so far, with this being just the second defeat in 11 matches. But it will irritate and annoy the Man Utd boss that the same issues appear to be popping up.
Man Utd’s lack of intensity was clear to see against Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Everton and Crystal Palace. In those games, Man Utd were saved by Fernandes or their plethora of attacking options. Against Leeds, it was not the case. And you could say that such a performance has been coming.
Leeds kept finding a lot of space in midfield. The Casemiro x Kobbie Mainoo partnership had been broken up with the Englishman pickin gup a knock. Leeds easily found Tanaka in the middle to create a 3vs2 in their favour.
Man Utd’s problems were particularly pertinent on Noussair Mazraoui and Leny Yoro’s side — two players not used to getting full 90s under their belts.
Although Man Utd improved after Martinez’s sending off — mainly as they were chasing the game — most of the attacks came from balls over the tap. The game became helter-skelter with Man Utd battling hard for a late equaliser.
The biggest worry for Carrick is that teams may have figured his attack out.
Shrewd Leeds United
When Man Utd pulled a goal back, there were still 20 minutes left to play. But instead of dropping back into a low block and inviting pressure, Tanaka went down injured and Leeds took the sting out of the game. A game they deserved to be in charge of and were in control of for most of the match.
Farke’s tactical plan was excellent. Whether it was creating numerical superiority in the middle of the pitch, or resorting to keeping possession to slow the game down when needed. Or being a constant threat from wide and launching crosses into the box.
It was clear that Farke intended to let Yoro have the ball, with Man Utd failing to progress through him. And once Man Utd made mistakes, Leeds pounced.
It’s a testament to how well Leeds played that even when the momentum seemed to tip in Man Utd’s favour, they steadied themselves and saw the game out.
This may not have been the result anyone expected. But questions have been raised about Carrick’s credentials as a possible permanent Man Utd manager. The Red Devils starting slowly and Carrick’s attacking plan being figured out contributed to a sobering defeat.
As for Leeds, a brilliant result leaves them six points clear of the relegation zone and has spiced up the battle at the bottom even more. Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone with six games left to play.
The result showed that every team at both ends of the table that needs points will fight tooth and nail to get what they want. Anything can still happen when it comes to the title race, relegation battle and European qualification.