Premier League title-chasers Manchester United had to rely on a second-half comeback at Old Trafford to rescue a point in front of home support as leaderless Leeds United began the post-Jesse Marsch era with a valuable result away from Yorkshire.
The Whites temporarily gave themselves the smallest point margin to temporarily distance themselves from the bottom three, while Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils remain in touching distance of league leaders Arsenal on a night where three points would have been preferred from the home support.
Leeds got off to a rip-roaring start just 55 seconds after kick-off when Italian starlet Wilfried Gnonto beat David de Gea with a low drive at the near post from 20 yards out after being laid off into space by Patrick Bamford. The youngster has begun to find his shooting boots while his profile continues to surge during the 2022-23 season after his summer arrival from FC Zürich, with his early goal giving him four goals in his last seven appearances for the club across all competitions.
The struggling Yorkshire club was made to make an early change in the 8th minute when the returning Luis Sinisterra was taken off injured during what has been a frustrating first season in England after starring for Feyenoord, with Dutch youth international Crysencio Summerville coming on to replace him.
January signing Marcel Sabitzer had a chance to level matters in the 14th minute on his first league start for United when the ball dropped at the penalty spot for the Austrian international to dispatch a volley directed at goal, only for his effort to sail over French youth international keeper Illan Meslier. Argentina youngster Alejandro Garnacho has his own chance to level the scoreline after being found at the back post by Bruno Fernandes just four minutes later but he could only drag his low effort wide of the near post, a feat then repeated by Sabitzer seconds later.
United had begun to turn the screw as chances started to come thick and fast for the Red Devils, and Garnacho once again was denied the chance to find the equalizer in the 27th minute when Maximilian Wöber headed clear off the line at the near post when the left-winger dispatched his effort into an otherwise open goal after being put through on goal and rounding Meslier when he may have otherwise went down for a possible penalty.
Meslier was called into action in the 31st minute when Sabitzer sent a curling effort from over 20 yards out destined for the top corner only for the Frenchman to deny the Austrian, with both Sabitzer and Garnacho continuing to find enough space to pick out goalscoring chances as Leeds were now firmly on the back foot despite their early opener.
Leeds made another lightning start to the second half just as they did the first when least regained possession in the United third of the pitch before Summerville’s cut back across the face of the goal deflected off Raphaël Varane and past De Gea at the near post to double their advantage just minutes after the restart.
United finally found the back of the net after so nearly doing so on a number of occasions in the first half when Diogo Dalot’s cross found a leaping Marcus Rashford who headed home to cut the deficit in half, giving the England international 15 goals in 20 appearances while scoring for the sixth consecutive home appearance at Old Trafford.
Second-half substitute Jadon Sancho welcomed himself back into the United fold when the former Borussia Dortmund wunderkind only needed minutes to find the back of the net after coming off the bench when he found the equalizer in the 70th minute after Luke Shaw’s deflected cross bounced to the England international whose effort managed to find its way through Meslier’s arms and into the back of the net.
The match would end with honors even at the Theatre of Dreams, with these two sides primed to clash again just four days from now at Elland Road amid contrasting futures at either end of the Premier League table.
Manchester United Player Ratings
- GK: David de Gea - 6
- RB: Diogo Dalot - 7.5
- CB: Raphaël Varane - 6
- CB: Lisandro Martínez - 7.5
- LB: Luke Shaw - 7
- CM: Fred - 6.5
- CM: Marcel Sabitzer - 7
- CAM: Bruno Fernandes - 7.5
- RW: Alejandro Garnacho - 6.5
- LW: Marcus Rashford - 8
- CF: Wout Weghorst - 6
- Sub: Jadon Sancho - 7.5
- Sub: Facundo Pellistri - 6
- Sub: Tyrell Malacia - 6.5
- Sub: Victor Lindelöf - 6
Leeds United Player Ratings
- GK: Illan Meslier - 7
- RB: Luke Ayling - 8
- CB: Robin Koch - 6.5
- CB: Maximilian Wöber - 7
- LB: Pascal Struijk - 6.5
- CM: Tyler Adams - 7
- CM: Weston McKennie - 6.5
- CAM: Jack Harrison - 6.5
- RW: Luis Sinisterra - N/A
- LW: Wilfried Gnonto -
- CF: Patrick Bamford - 7
- Sub: Crysencio Summerville - 6.5
- Sub: Junior Firpo - 6
- Sub: Georginio Rutter - 6.5
- Sub: Brenden Aaronson - 6.5
- Sub: Sam Greenwood - N/A
- Sub: Mateo Fernández - N/A
