Kyle Newbould: Three takeaways from Leeds United’s historic 2-1 at Manchester United | OneFootball

Leeds United earned a historic 2-1 win at Manchester United, their first league victory at Old Trafford in 45 years, as Noah Okafor struck twice before the break.

Lisandro Martinez was sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair, and Casemiro reduced the deficit with a back-post header from a Bruno Fernandes cross as Leeds held firm. yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk highlights three key conclusions from the night.

With Anton Stach sidelined by an ankle injury, Farke partnered Ethan Ampadu with Ao Tanaka to prioritise possession over Ilia Gruev’s defensive profile. Tanaka delivered a technically sharp display, central to Leeds’ build-up. He logged 69 touches, second-most among Leeds behind Gabriel Gudmundsson, and 42 accurate passes, topped only by Pascal Struijk and Ampadu, despite playing 74 minutes.

He also pinched possession to create a chance and skipped past Senne Lammens, only to miss out on a goal. The bigger takeaway was his calm use of the ball, arguably his best outing of the season.

Game management also improved. Leeds might have been four or five up at the break, but after Calvert-Lewin’s missed free header and Casemiro’s reply, Farke’s changes, including Gruev and Willy Gnonto, steadied things. Despite leading the league for added-time concessions, they recycled possession smartly and survived seven minutes of added time.

The result felt especially significant in the survival push. It ended a Premier League winless run since early February and an away drought since September, achieved amid injury concerns. Leeds are six points clear of the relegation zone with six to play, with only Brighton, at home on the penultimate weekend, from the top half, and Wolves and Burnley still to visit Elland Road. They are not safe yet, but it now feels within reach.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk