Leeds United lessons learned vs Man Utd with big relegation boost and Daniel Farke confidence clear — YEP 4/1/26

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By Kyle Newbould

Lessons learned from another hard-earned Premier League point for Leeds United at Elland Road.

Leeds United came away from Sunday’s Premier League game against Manchester United with a well-deserved point having drawn 1-1 at Elland Road. Brenden Aaronson scored a brilliant opener just after the hour mark but a lapse in concentration allowed Matheus Cunha to equalise almost instantly.

Daniel Farke’s side weren’t able to physically dominate Manchester United in the same way they have previous Elland Road visitors but despite switching off for Cunha’s goal, defended well to keep their unbeaten streak going. Below are some of the YEP’s key takeaways from another solid showing.

A boost and a blow in the Leeds United line-up

After rotating at Liverpool, Farke moved back towards his strongest possible team but there was one notable absence, with Jayden Bogle not in the matchday squad having picked up a minor calf issue. James Justin was impressive defensively once again, even with the ever-dangerous Cunha on his side, but certainly lacked the attacking thrust his main competitor for that wing-back spot boasts.

There was a much-needed boost at the same time, however, with Sean Longstaff back in a matchday squad for the first time since picking up a calf issue against Aston Villa in November. The former Newcastle United man was never introduced but offered welcome depth, given Ethan Ampadu was banned, and should now be available for Wednesday’s trip to St James’ Park.

Man Utd enjoying set-piece comfort

So often during this unbeaten run, set-pieces have been Elland Road’s biggest tool but they couldn’t get the better of their visitors from dead-ball situations. Admittedly, Manchester United are alongside Leeds as one of the Premier League’s strongest from such situations and it was they who had the best chance, with Lucas Perri forced into a good save from Leny Yoro.

Leeds were without the long throw-ins of Ampadu and his deputy, Gabriel Gudmundsson, couldn’t quite get the same trajectory while Anton Stach’s corners rarely found a teammate’s head. Farke’s side have been growing in confidence creating chances from open play though, and did so for their opener which came via Aaronson.

Confidence clear in Daniel Farke’s substitutions

A frustrating lapse in concentration allowed Cunha to level at 1-1 less than three minutes after Aaronson’s opener and while both sides had chances to win it, you could feel Farke’s confidence in the changes he made. He switched to a back-four not long after the goals and by full-time, Leeds had Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lukas Nmecha, Willy Gnonto and Joel Piroe up top with a midfield base of Ao Tanaka and Stach.

They were the kind of substitutions Farke made when chasing victory in the Championship and a show of intent, with confidence clearly high following Leeds’ recent run of results. The points gap on those in the bottom three also allows a little more freedom to push for victories, knowing they will not lose any ground even in the worst-case scenario.

The unbeaten run continues

Those changes suggest Leeds were edging towards pushing for victory but in taking a point, they extended their unbeaten run to seven matches. A glass-half-empty fan might see three two wins in that run but Farke has regularly pushed the mantra of if you can’t win, don’t lose, and his side are following suit.

Not since the start of the 2001/02 campaign have Leeds gone more than seven Premier League games without defeat, with David O’Leary overseeing 11 unbeaten during that period. Farke has some way to go before equalling that tally but rarely has his side even looked like losing during their seven-match streak.

Another good week in the relegation battle

Leeds fans might not have been able to celebrate a first Premier League win over Manchester United since 2001 on Sunday but while those records are fun to break, they do not equal survival. Getting more points than your relegation rivals equals survival and Farke’s side managed exactly that this weekend.

The big result saw West Ham lose 3-0 at rock-bottom Wolves but Nottingham Forest and Burnley also fell to defeats against Brighton and Aston Villa respectively, while Bournemouth lost 3-2 at home to Arsenal. That all means Leeds have come through another weekend while increasing their chances of safety, and with West Ham facing Forest on Tuesday they’ll have another chance to pull clear in midweek.

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