Leeds make history in rare Old Trafford win but the real loser isn’t Man Utd

Leeds players celebrate first league win at Old Trafford since 1981 (Getty)

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 that the growing possibility 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 100 percent record at Old Trafford as United manager. The danger is the favourite to become the permanent manager loses rather more than that.

Carrick was an unused substitute for Leeds’ previous win at Old Trafford in 2010. This, however, was a first league victory on enemy turf in 45 years and Noah Okafor can now join Brian Flynn in Leeds folklore. The summer signing’s volleyed double was his first brace for Leeds. The goals came in a pair for this particular Noah, perhaps changing the arc of each United’s fortunes.

Noah Okafor’s brace proved the difference in Leeds’ first league win at Old Trafford since 1981 (AP)

For Daniel Farke, though, a survival mission is almost complete, especially with home games against Wolves and Burnley to come. This, indisputably, was Leeds’ finest day since returning to the Premier League, perhaps their best in the division since the 2022 triumph at Anfield.

But as Leeds know from bitter experience, however, they rarely do things the easy way. Carrick’s United threatened an act of escapology. They mounted an assault in the second half. James Justin headed off the line to deny Benjamin Sesko, whose shot had looped up off Karl Darlow after the striker made a buccaneering run. The goalkeeper made a terrific save from Matheus Cunha.

Manchester United halved the deficit with Casemiro’s terrific far-post header from Bruno Fernandes’ deep cross, underlining why United will miss his goalscoring habit when he leaves, and taking the captain one closer to the Premier League assist record.

Casemiro halved the deficit for Man United as Michael Carrick tried to stage a salvage mission (AP)

There was almost an equaliser. Sesko, no stranger to late goals, forced a brilliant save from Darlow. Casemiro’s second terrific header was superbly cleared off the line by Calvert-Lewin.

It amounted to a spirited response to going down to 10 men from Manchester United. The problem was that they had begun so badly with 11. It was their first game for 24 days and they scarcely looked ready for it. Carrick has shown great consistency in selection but made four changes, two enforced. United appeared a team of strangers.

Carrick’s side looked dozy and dopey as Leeds hassled and harried them. They were fired up but fantastic. If sterility in attack threatened Leeds’ place in the Premier League, that changed as they made the most vibrant of starts. They arrived equipped with ambition and confidence. They could have been two goals ahead inside five minutes. They got one.

A tactic of outflanking Manchester United with their raiding wing-backs worked even before they led and produced chances from either flank. First Gabriel Gudmundsson was the creator, with a low cross that Calvert-Lewin met, sliding in only to be denied by Senne Lammens, who made a brilliant close-range block.

Michael Carrick’s side could have conceded many more on a bad night at Old Trafford (AP)

Then Jayden Bogle delivered a deep cross that Okafor converted for Leeds’ first goal in five league games and their first in open play for six. A second followed before the half-hour, struck from 20 yards after Manchester United had missed a series of chances to clear; Casemiro had been the initial culprit, caught in possession by Ethan Ampadu.

Leeds had chances to get a third and almost had grounds to rue them. Calvert-Lewin spurned one, heading at Lammens when unmarked. Before his early exit, Martinez made a remarkable goal-saving challenge on his own line, denying Ao Tanaka, who had gone past Lammens, after the goalkeeper had given the ball away.

Martinez produced a stunning goal-saving challenge to deny Ao Tanaka on the brink of half-time (Getty)

And yet it was not why Martinez’s night will be remembered. His first appearance in two months was curtailed when the fit-again defender was sent off for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair, a replay persuading referee Paul Tierney to dismiss him. A ban takes in clashes with Chelsea, Brentford and Liverpool, with the possibility Harry Maguire will also be suspended for the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Feeling himself unfortunate, Martinez walked off shrugging in surprise but he had failed to heed the lesson of Everton’s Michael Keane, red-carded for tugging Tolu Arokodare’s hair. Keane had been involved in the season’s other oddity of a sending off at Old Trafford, when his Everton teammate Idrissa Gueye was expelled for slapping him. That was Manchester United’s previous home league defeat. The next came with another unusual red card, and with a Noah seeming to keep Leeds in the promised land.