🦁 Leeds claim rival turf as 10-man United stunned at Old Trafford

🦁 Leeds claim rival turf as 10-man United stunned at Old Trafford

Manchester United's night was one to forget on Monday after falling 2-1 to rivals Leeds in front of home fans.

Scorers: Okafor 5', 29'; Casemiro 69'. Red: Martinez 56'

Old Trafford tends to be a tough atmosphere, but it was essentially a walk in the park for Leeds right from kick-off.

The visitors showed true intent, strength, desire and collaboration on the pitch and were constantly a step ahead of the hosts. Such a start led to an early opener.

With only 4:06 on the clock, Noah Okafor bagged his first of two goals thanks to a swift side-footed finish inside the box. United, while stunned, failed to muster up any true threats as Leeds remained in the driver's seat.

And when they scored the second, it was Okafor again. The 25-year-old took a chance on himself and struck from range, seeing the ball deflect off a player and beyond Senne Lammens.

Coming out of the break, Michael Carrick's men suggested they had been handed a stern talking-to and played with a hungrier approach. But that was all swept away thanks to a direct red card.

Lisandro Martinez attempted to mark Dominic Calvert-Lewin and, in doing so, pulled the forward's hair. VAR caught the moment and showed him a first Premier League red card.

Two goals and one man down, however, forced Manchester United to step up in the final half hour. A leaping Casemiro later headed the ball in for 2-1 as fans erupted.

Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo tried to get involved, but their efforts weren't decisive enough, and the usual magic from Bruno Fernandes was dull.

A second attempt from Casemiro just before stoppage time was cleared off the line as Leeds scraped by marginally. It goes down as their first victory in 18 league visits to Old Trafford, a run that dates back to 1981!

The result means Manchester United dropped three massive points in their race to finish in the top four. Leeds, meanwhile, see themselves now six points above the drop, which piles more pressure on struggling Tottenham.