Leeds United stunned 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford, securing their first league victory at the venue in 44 years as Noah Okafor’s first-half brace sealed a crucial 2-1 win in the Premier League relegation battle.
Okafor struck early, opening the scoring in the fifth minute before doubling the lead just before the half-hour mark. Ao Tanaka later missed a golden opportunity to extend the advantage further.
Manchester United’s troubles deepened in the second half when Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. Casemiro pulled one back with a header to set up a tense finish, but Leeds held firm under late pressure to claim a memorable victory.
The result leaves Michael Carrick’s side level on 55 points with Aston Villa, just three ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool. Leeds, meanwhile, climb to 15th place, boosting their hopes of avoiding relegation.
“We knew what we had to do from the beginning. The manager prepared us really well, so everyone understood their role. We said before the game that everyone had to give one hundred percent.
“We have to fight for these points, and they are really important. In the end, we did it, so I am really happy,” said Okafor.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke was delighted after guiding his side to a historic win at Old Trafford.
“It feels outstanding, especially under the circumstances — it’s a crunch period in the season and we were under pressure playing the final fixture of the matchday. We also didn’t have the easiest week.
“Key players were unavailable — Anton Stach, Joe Rodon and Daniel James — while others like Gabi Gudmundsson, Jaka Bijol and Noah Okafor had a difficult week in training,” he said.
(IANS)
