Leeds teach ‘elite’ a big lesson again
UNITED LOOK SO BLUNT
THAT’S another one in the eye for one of the so-called Big Six.
Leeds dented Liverpool’s top-four hopes last Monday and now they have frustrated Manchester United to all but end their faint title chances.
Throw in a win at champions-elect Manchester City and a draw with Chelsea, and Leeds’ form underlies the sheer arrogance of the Big Six to feel they should be in a different league to the likes of theWhites.
The visitors, like Liverpool last week, certainly did not look like they belong among Europe’s elite such has been Leeds’ progress under Marcelo Bielsa.
Yes, this no-score bore will not live long in the memory, but this fixture between two such fierce rivals is the sort of game punters around the world love to see.
This was yet another match that suffered badly without fans to inject some passion into it and there was too much of a lazy Sunday afternoon feel to it. Credit for that must go to Leeds and they nullified the visitors to end their five-match winning run in the league.
Kalvin Phillips did a real number on Bruno Fernandes to snuff out his huge threat, while Pascal Struijk and Ezgjan Alioski impressed in Leeds’ new mean defence.
The upshot of Leeds’ shut-out against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is that City are just two wins away from a third title in four years.
It could all be over next Sunday if City beat Crystal Palace on Saturday and United lose to bitter rivals Liverpool 28 hours later. It says it all about this game that perhaps the best moment of action came when Harry Maguire called Fred “a f ***** idiot” in the second half and Scott McTominay had to quieten things down.
Solskjaer took heart from dominating Leeds at home in the second half, which is a rare feat.
But that felt a bit like clutching at straws and the bottom line is the visitors just were not good enough.
Maguire scuffed an early Fernandes free-kick over during a flat opening. Leeds claimed a penalty when Jack Harrison’s cross hit Luke Shaw’s left arm, but VAR Mike Dean ruled his limb was not in an unnatural position.
Stuart Dallas mustered the first effort on target with a left-foot shot after good work by Phillips, but it was straight at Dean Henderson.
United threatened twice just before half-time when Marcus Rashford’s dipping 25-yard freekick was pushed over by Illan Meslier and Maguire missed with a free header from the corner.
With Phillips as his shadow, Fernandes was restricted, but he still missed arguably the best chance when he shot wide from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross.
Mason Greenwood had an effort saved by Meslier and one-time Leeds target Dan James took too long over a good chance and was denied by Alioski.
Leeds did have opportunities and Helder Costa’s shot was deflected off Wan-Bissaka on to the roof of the net before Mateusz Klich’s weak effort was saved.
LEEDS (4-1-4-1): Meslier 6; Ayling 6, Llorente 6, Struijk 7, Alioski 7; Phillips 8; Costa 6 (Klich 72), Dallas 6, Roberts 5 (Koch 77), Harrison 6 (Poveda 68, 6); Bamford 5.
MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): Henderson 6; Wan-Bissaka 7, Lindelof 6, Maguire 6, Shaw 7; Fred 6 (Van de Beek 89), McTominay 5; Greenwood 6, Fernandes 6, James 5 (Pogba 76); Rashford 6 (Cavani 86).