Despite being rated higher and having home advantage, Man United still showed a disappointing performance. They let Leeds leave Old Trafford for the first time with 3 points in the Premier League since 1981.
Right after the opening whistle, fans witnessed one of Man United's worst halves of this season. On the day Kobbie Mainoo was absent, Manuel Ugarte paired with Casemiro in midfield, causing the home team to completely lose control of the game and continuously be pressed by Leeds. In the 5th minute, Senne Lammens' net shook after Noah Okafor's seized opportunity.
In the 29th minute, Man United's defense continued to play clumsily, creating conditions for Okafor to finish in a favorable position, doubling the lead for Leeds. The first half closed in disappointment for the home fans.
Stepping into the second half, Man United pushed up the pace and soon created an opportunity to narrow the score. In the 45th minute, Benjamin Sesko faced the goalkeeper but could not take advantage of it successfully.
When hopes for a comeback began to arise, Lisandro Martinez again put his team in a difficult position with a red card in the 56th minute after pulling Calvert-Lewin's hair.
Playing with one less player, Man United still tried to attack, even creating more opportunities than when they were in full force.
In the 69th minute, Casemiro headed dangerously to narrow the score to 1-2. This is the 6th goal of the Brazilian midfielder in the Premier League this season, all scored with the head and all originated from Bruno Fernandes' assists.
In the 85th minute, the opportunity to equalize seemed to have come to the home team when Karl Darlow was defeated in an aerial duel. However, Calvert-Lewin promptly appeared to clear the ball right on the goal line.
In the end, Leeds won 2-1 right at Old Trafford. This result helps Leeds take another important step in the relegation race, having created a 6-point gap with the relegation group.
