Manchester United 1-2 Leeds: Noah Okafor’s double assist gives the visitors a very rare league win at Old Trafford after Lisandro Martinez was sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair.
Noah Okafor scored twice for Leeds at Old Trafford (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Lisandro Martinez, who had returned to the Manchester United side, was sent off as Leeds secured their first league win at Old Trafford since 1981. Noah Okafor’s two first-half goals were enough for Leeds to grab the vital three points to avoid Premier League relegation and hand Michael Carrick his second defeat as United manager.
Leeds got off to a great start and scored in the fifth minute with Okafor’s side-footed effort from Omar Bogle’s cross. Trailing 2-0 in the 29th minute, United failed to clear their lines and Okafor’s volley from the edge of the box bounced past Senne Lamence and into the bottom corner of the goal.
It could have easily been 3-0 before halftime, but Martinez blocked Ao Tanaka from running past Rammens and diving into the empty net. There was some booing in frustration at half-time, but Michael Carrick decided not to make any changes at half-time.
Benjamin Sesco was denied by Karl Darlow, while Martinez was shown a straight red card for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair in a bizarre incident. With United reeling, Casemiro halved the deficit with his 17th assist in the Premier League this season, scoring a bullet header from Bruno Fernandes’ back-post cross.
Calvert-Lewin missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-1 and headed straight at Rammens, but it did not prove costly as he made up for Casemiro’s header by clearing it on the goal line. United’s improved 10-man side were unable to press for an equaliser, and Leeds finished 18 league games at Old Trafford without a win. Here’s the talking point.
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read more: Gary Neville gives honest verdict as Lisandro Martinez gets sent off for hair pullread more: Referee reveals Anthony Taylor’s allegiance after appointment for Man City vs Arsenal
1. Reed gets out of the block quickly.
One of the questions heading into the game was about United’s sharpness. Will Carrick, who hasn’t played in 24 days, be ready after training camp in Ireland? That question was not answered in the first 10 minutes, but it was clear Leeds were more than ready.
They could have taken the lead earlier, but Calvert-Lewin slid in from Gabriel Gudamundsson’s low cross, but Lamence saved from close range. The mistake was quickly forgotten as Okafor headed in Bogle’s cross from the opposite flank after Lenny Yolo failed to clear under pressure from Calvert-Lewin.
Noah Okafor made it 1-0 for Leeds after five minutes (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
2. Feeling of missing players
United knew Harry Maguire would be absent from the game after the centre-back was sent off in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. Martinez’s return seemed perfectly timed after missing five games with a calf injury, but Maguire’s absence was clearly an issue from the off.
Along with Koby Mainu’s absence, two of United’s most consistent performers are missing. Mainu was replaced by Manuel Ugarte, but the Uruguayan international did nothing to please the home fans. The Leeds wing-back caused United all sorts of problems, but Martinez’s rustiness was evident even before he received a crazy red card for a pass attempt to Casemiro, who gave up the ball on the edge of the box in the build-up to Okafor’s second goal.
By focusing solely on the Premier League, Carrick has been able to continue doing the same thing week in and week out. Perhaps for the first time under interim manager, their lack of depth became apparent.
Lisandro Martinez was thrown into the deep end upon his return (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
3. Martinez sees red
United’s task became even more difficult when Martinez received his marching orders from referee Paul Tierney in the 56th minute. The United defender was vying with Calvert-Lewin for a long ball when Lewin reached for the Leeds striker’s bun and pulled it.
VAR sent Tierney to the pitchside monitor and the decision was made quickly, much to Martinez’s embarrassment. In the end, he stumbled away, protesting his innocence, but Gary Neville was not fooled. “He knows what he’s doing there,” he said on Sky Sports’ co-commentary.
Lisandro Martinez sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair
4. Classic combo
Casemiro will leave United at the end of this season. He will be remembered primarily for his sometimes deft play in holding midfield, his ability to spot danger, intercept passes and keep moving while holding the ball.
But in a few years time, United fans will look back on his incredible heading ability at the other end of the pitch. The Brazilian is really good in the air and always seems to be on the same wavelength as Fernandes, his main source of crosses. Remarkably, Casemiro’s last six goals have been headers assisted by the United captain, a combination he will miss out on next season.
Casemiro was again assisted by Bruno Fernandes (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
5. Big loser Spurs
United remain in third place and appear to be favorites to qualify for next season’s Champions League. If anything, this defeat made Tottenham the biggest losers of the night.
Things went from bad to worse for Spurs after a weekend in which Roberto de Zerbi’s side lost 1-0 to Sunderland, West Ham beat Wolves 4-0 and Nottingham Forest picked up a point with a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, with Leeds now six points clear of the drop zone with a memorable win.
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