Manchester United suffered a disappointing 1-2 defeat to Leeds United at home, marking their first loss under Michael Carrick and Leeds' first win at Old Trafford since 1988. The team's poor performance highlighted a lack of match fitness after a 24-day break.
Lisandro Martinez let United down vs Leeds, INEOS need to sort it out
Manchester United put in arguably one of their worst first-half displays this season, succumbing to a 1-2 defeat at the hands of fierce rivals Leeds United at Old Trafford on Monday.
This was Unitedâs first defeat at home under Michael Carrick, and Leedsâ first win at the Theatre of Dreams since 1988.
The home side looked like a team that has not played in 24 days and the rustiness was on display right from kick-off.
That was best exemplified by Leny Yoro, who looked completely lost out there for the entirety of the 90 minutes.
The visitors looked much sharper, having qualified for the FA Cup semi-finals last week, and deservedly took a two-goal lead within 30 minutes.
Things went from bad to worse in the second half when Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card for violent conduct.
The Argentine was spotted pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewinâs hair, and after VAR intervention, the World Cup winner was shown his marching orders. It was harsh, but as per the rulebook, it seemed to be the right call.
Credit to the hosts for not giving up despite being two goals down and a man down, as they upped the ante and Casemiro reduced the deficit from a Bruno Fernandes cross.
The Red Devils came close to equalising multiple times, but some last-ditch defending and great goalkeeping meant Leeds took home all three points.
Carrick, who has rightly received plaudits for Unitedâs turnaround post the disastrous Ruben Amorim era, got his team selection and tactics all wrong on the night.
Playing Manuel Ugarte in midfield was the wrong call, with the Uruguayan sloppy on the ball. Starting Lisandro Martinez straight away after his injury proved to be another disastrous decision.
Both centre-backs were at sixes and sevens all night, but the Argentine is starting to become a liability.
At least Yoro has age on his side, but the 28-year-old should have taken on more responsibility as one of the leaders within the squad.
Suffering from frequent injuries, the former Ajax ace has missed over 100 games since joining, which makes it difficult for the head coach to place their trust in him despite his qualities.
He also remains prone to losing his head in the heat of the moment, United need someone more dependable than Lisandro Martinez at the moment.
On the ball, there are few better but his temperament cost his team against Leeds. While most fans had been thinking midfield was the area that needed the most urgent attention, INEOS have a tough call to make in the summer with regard to recruiting at the back as well.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the worldâs leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
The final score was Manchester United 1, Leeds United 2.
Leeds United last won at Old Trafford in 1988.
Manchester United had not played for 24 days before facing Leeds United.
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.
Arshdeep Singh makes history as the first PBKS bowler to reach 100 IPL wickets!
California's top high school football prospects are on the move this weekend.
Viktor Hovland shines with a 64 at RBC Heritage, Gotterup scores 70.
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.