OLE’S SIX PACK
McTominay double inspires red- letter day for Solskjaer
There may still be one off the pitch but given the freedom of Old Trafford on it, Manchester United turned Leeds’ first league visit in almost 17 years into one to package away in a dark corner.
From the moment Scott McTominay put the home side ahead after 66 seconds, it was the Red Devils’ game and they went on to hit Leeds for six – equalling their biggest haul in this fixture.
While the visitors contributed much to a crazily open game of 43 goal attempts, defensive rigidity was not high on the agenda.
Under Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds know only one way – and attacking at all costs makes for fantastically entertaining football.
The problem comes when they face a side with the striking talents of United.
Leeds were ripped apart and it could have been double figures.
For their sake, thank goodness there was no crowd – the stick would have been merciless.
No wonder Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, was looking forward to this match so much. If his team are re perfectly built to operate e against any side, it is one e that leaves them so much h space.
Leeds’ minds – and nd bodies – were occupied ied further up the field and Solskjaer’s l kj ’ charges made the most of it.
They quickly led through McTominay’s sweet strike after he was set up by Bruno Fernandes.
It was 2- 0 inside three minutes, with McTominay timing his run into the area to perfection to take a pass from Anthony Martial and slide the ball beyond Illan Meslier.
Leeds were rocked. The deserted acreage in their midfield was a constant source of joy for the hosts, and by the 20th minute it was 3- 0 as Fernandes scored his 13th goal of the season.
He drove his shot through the legs of Lu Luke Ayling and into the net a after Fred was allowed to mo motor his way into the danger d area.
Even Victor Lindelof g got in on the act, tucking away aw Martial’s flick- on fro from a corner for a rare goal by the Sweden defender 17 minutes i later.
Leeds pulled one back before the break through captain Liam Cooper, who outjumped Fred to head in a corner by Raphinha. But even though Bielsa moved to a back five in the second half, having taken off Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich, there was no interruption to the torrent. Dan James, handed a rare start against the club he almost signed for 18 months ago, was booked for diving as he went to ground in the penalty area under a challenge from Cooper.
But in the 66th minute he showed a more wholesome aspect to his game in killing McTominay’s through ball and firing under Meslier for the fifth goal.
Four minutes later Fernandes made it six, tucking away a penalty after Martial had been tripped by substitute Pascal Struijk.
Damage limitation is not part of the Leeds vocabulary and they kept on pushing forward.
Stuart Dallas struck in the 73rd minute with a terrific shot from outside the area to make it 6- 2.
There were any number of chances for Manchester United to make the scoreline really embarrassing, but the overworked Meslier kept it to six.
Solskjaer’s men finished with 10 men as McTominay departed at the start of injury- time to protect a sore groin.
But the northern powerhouse derby ended as a red- letter day for Manchester and a red- faced one for Leeds.
OLE GUNNAR Solskjaer hailed one of the maddest games he had ever witnessed after Manchester United swept aside rivals Leeds in an Old Trafford thriller.
Two- goal “monster” Scott McTominay helped the Red Devils surge up to third following their biggest home league win for nine years.
After a game which saw an incredible 43 shots, boss Solskjaer claimed his team could have scored a dozen goals.
He said: “Just imagine if there were 75,000 people in, it would have gone down in history as one of the great performances. It could have been 12- 4! It