Leeds stun United

Leeds United left Old Trafford with a 2-1 win on Monday, their first league victory there since 1981, after Noah Okafor scored twice before halftime. (skysports.com) Okafor put Leeds ahead in the fifth minute and added a second in the 29th after Manchester United’s defense struggled through the opening half hour. Casemiro headed in from a Bruno Fernandes delivery in the 69th minute, but Leeds held on. (skysports.com) The flashpoint came early in the second half when referee Paul Tierney sent off Lisandro Martínez after a pitchside review for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. The dismissal left United with 10 men for the final stretch. (espn.com) Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick said the call was “shocking” and “one of the worst” decisions he had seen. Calvert-Lewin said he felt the pull, told Tierney, and added that he held “no grudges” toward Martínez. (espn.com) The result moved Leeds six points clear of Tottenham with six Premier League games left, a sharp change in a relegation fight that had kept Daniel Farke’s side under pressure. It was only Leeds’ second away league win of the season. (skysports.com) (espn.com) For United, the loss checked a push near the top end of the table and handed Carrick his first home defeat in charge. Sky Sports reported United had not played for 24 days before Monday’s match, and their rust showed in a first half Leeds controlled. (skysports.com) The postmatch debate split quickly between the red card and the football that came before it. Roy Keane’s halftime assessment on Sky Sports was that United were fortunate to be only two goals down, while Fernandes’ cross for Casemiro’s goal drew notice as one of the few precise moments in United’s response. (tribuna.com) (skysports.com) Leeds now head into the final six matches with home games still to come against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley. After a 45-year wait for a league win at Old Trafford, the table changed as much as the mood. (skysports.com)