United stunned at Old Trafford
Manchester United lost 2-1 at Old Trafford to Leeds, a result that marked Leeds’ first league win at Old Trafford in 45 years and saw Noah Okafor score a first‑half brace. (nbcsports.com) The match finished with United down to 10 men after Lisandro Martínez was sent off, a sequence that one report says turned the game and intensified questions over squad depth. ( ) (x.com)
Manchester United’s push at the top end of the table took a hit Monday when Leeds United won 2-1 at Old Trafford. (manutd.com) Noah Okafor scored in the fifth and 29th minutes for Leeds, and Casemiro pulled one back in the 69th minute from a Bruno Fernandes cross. ESPN’s match report listed United with 52.7 percent possession, 20 shot attempts, and 11 corners, but Leeds still left with the points. (espn.co.uk) The match turned again in the 56th minute, when Lisandro Martínez was sent off after a Video Assistant Referee review for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. United’s official report said the dismissal reduced Michael Carrick’s team to 10 men for the final half hour. (manutd.com) For Leeds, the result ended a long wait at this stadium: it was their first league win at Old Trafford since 1981. NBC Sports called it the visitors’ first win there in 45 years. (nbcsports.com) For United, it was a missed chance in a crowded race for European places. NBC Sports said the defeat left Carrick’s side in third place, seven points ahead of sixth-place Chelsea with six league matches remaining, while Manchester United’s own report said Chelsea are next. (nbcsports.com, manutd.com) For Leeds, the points mattered at the other end of the table. Sky Sports said the win moved Daniel Farke’s side six points clear of Tottenham with six games left, and Leeds’ official site showed the club on 33 points ahead of a home match against Wolves on April 18. (skysports.com, leedsunited.com) Carrick disputed the red-card decision after the match. Sky Sports quoted him describing it as “one of the worst” calls he has seen, while NBC Sports called the dismissal controversial after referee Paul Tierney was sent to the monitor. (skysports.com, nbcsports.com) The result also snapped Carrick’s unbeaten home start in the league. Manchester United said it was his first home defeat in charge, and the club’s first Premier League-era home loss to Leeds. (manutd.com) Leeds now head back to Elland Road with survival closer and a rivalry result that will last longer than three points. United, after 24 days without a match before this one, go to Chelsea on Saturday needing a quicker response than they found against Okafor. (skysports.com, nbcsports.com)
