Mighty Leeds Weblog

By Graham Smyth The Verdict on Leeds United's momentous 2-1 win at Old Trafford. When you wait 45 years to beat your most bitter rivals in the league on their turf the manner of victory matters little but Daniel Farke's Leeds United fully deserved their bit of history - their latest bit of history. A point would have been a fine result at Old Trafford for a relegation-threatened side sitting just three clear of the drop zone. After all, Manchester United were flying under Michael Carrick. Third in the table and looking to consolidate their Champions League spot, the hosts were playing their first game since March 20 so could either be described as rested or rusty. Leeds, on the evidence of their start and subsequent performance, were ready. Farke went with a line-up with some intent about it. Ao Tanaka retained his place in central midfield after doing well in the FA Cup and with Brenden Aaronson, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the side Leeds had some pace, po...

Manchester United 1-2 Leeds: Daniel Farke’s side picked up their first league win at Old Trafford since 1981 to take a huge step towards survival Richard Jolly at Old Trafford A terrible night for a relegation-threatened team who play in white. Although that team, admittedly, is Tottenham Hotspur. For Leeds United, this was a seminal, spectacular evening; a historic one, too, though even the significance of a first league win at Old Trafford since 1981 felt less immediate than the growing probability they will stay up. But for Michael Carrick and Manchester United, even a rousing attempt at a rescue act could not alter the combination of a wretched first half and a dreadful result. It was compounded by the consequences, with Lisandro Martinez’s comeback short-lived as he was sent off for grabbing Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. Just when it seemed they were certainties to qualify for the Champions League, Manchester United contrived to inject an element of doubt. Carrick lost his 1...

By Stuart Rayner Leeds United conjured up a classic of a game to win at Manchester United for the first time in the league since 1981. With an hour gone, it really should have been a gentle procession to victory. The Whites were two Noah Okafor goals up when Lisandro Martinez was sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's pony tail of all things. Within no time Leeds were playing ole football lapped up by the away end. Yet a team who threw away a two-goal lead at West Ham United eight days earlier very nearly did so again. All's well that ends well, perhaps, but the Whites made a dog's dinner of a big win for them. The 2-1 success took them to 36 Premier League points and with three home games left, they should get to safety. But then they should have cruised to victory on Monday night. Nothing is ever simple with a football club who really should carry a health warning rather than a sponsor's logo on their shirts. This game was like going out for on...

Man United 1-2 Leeds United: Rusty Red Devils made to pay for utterly shambolic errors in front of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, writes CHRIS WHEELER - with the writing on the wall for £50m man By CHRIS WHEELER, NORTHERN SPORTS WRITER Mankind had successfully travelled around the far side of the moon – and could feasibly have done so again – during the 24-day break since Manchester United last kicked a ball in anger. Four blank weekends had passed across an international break and a pause for the FA Cup quarter-finals that allowed last night’s opponents Leeds to maintain some match sharpness while United were at a training camp in Dublin. It’s the kind of interruption that can either allow teams to refresh and refocus on the final leg of the season, or it can knock them off their stride at a crucial point of the campaign. On a wildly unpredictable night at Old Trafford, United discovered to their cost that it was the latter. A second defeat in 11 games under head coach Michael Carrick...

By Lee Sobot Inside Elland Road: Historic FA Cup moment Leeds United resumed their Premier League survival bid with Monday night’s clash against fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. Leeds United gave themselves an enormous boost in their quest for Premier League survival as a brilliant brace from Noah Okafor sealed a 2-1 win at arch rivals Manchester United for a first league win at Old Trafford since 1981. Swiss international attacker Okafor was one of three Leeds injury doubts for the contest but all three of them started and two excellent Okafor finishes in the first half ultimately gave his side a massive three points. A dominant Whites could and should have been out of sight at half time and again after Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez was sent off midway through the second half for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. Despite having a man less, the Red Devils set up a grandstand finish as Bruno Fernandes teed up Casemiro to start a potential comeback...

By Graham Smyth The YEP’s take and off-camera moments from Leeds United’s incredible FA Cup quarter-final at West Ham. Leeds United are going to Wembley after a madcap FA Cup quarter-final win over West Ham United. The Whites threatened to throw away a glorious chance to make some history, squandering a two-goal lead, before holding their nerve to win it on spot-kicks. Here's the YEP take. Good day Pascal Struijk The defender has been at Leeds for eight years so if anyone in the dressing room knows what this means, it's him. The pressure was on him for that deciding spot-kick and though he evidently didn't mean to hit the post, he found the net to put his club in the FA Cup semi-final. The shootout and subsequent history achieved rendered worthwhile the joy-to-despair journey he and his team-mates went on in this quarter-final. And that moment, running to the away end, will live with him forever. Lucas Perri We can talk about the wobble, because there was on...