Leeds United and Man United will face one another this season after two seasons without one of English football’s great rivalries.
Truthfully, it’s been an eventful summer for both ahead of Leeds United’s return to Premier League action, which stepped up a gear back in June to kick off their pre-season plans.
Leeds took on old foe Manchester United in Sweden in pre-season. A 0-0 draw was the first game of their 2025/26 campaign in a meaningful sense, even if not a competitive fixture.
Instead, Leeds and Man United will have to wait until January to renew hostilities in a competitive setting with one another. They are scheduled to play one another the same day Leeds beat Man United 1-0 at Old Trafford in 2010.
Daniel Farke during Leeds United v Newcastle United.
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Leeds have their best chance in 23 years to beat Man United in a league game
Jermaine Beckford’s winner that day for Simon Grayson’s League One Leeds against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man United juggernaut was the latest win for the Whites, having lost five and drawn two in the 15 years since then.
Date Competition Venue Result
03/01/2010 FA Cup Old Trafford Man United 0-1 Leeds United
20/09/2011 League Cup Elland Road Leeds United 0-3 Man United
20/12/2020 Premier League Old Trafford Man United 6-2 Leeds United
25/04/2021 Premier League Elland Road Leeds United 0-0 Man United
14/08/2021 Premier League Old Trafford Man United 5-1 Leeds United
20/02/2022 Premier League Elland Road Leeds United 2-4 Man United
08/02/2023 Premier League Old Trafford Man United 2-2 Leeds United
12/02/2023 Premier League Elland Road Leeds United 0-2 Man United
Leeds’ results vs Man United since relegation in 2004
It was the first since Leeds had beaten Man United since a 1-0 win in September 2002 in the Premier League at Elland Road, with Harry Kewell winning that particular clash in the 68th minute.
In truth, it’s been a miserable clash for the West Yorkshire outfit. Leeds have won just five of the last 46 meetings with their biggest rivals — and just 26 of 113 meetings between the two throughout history.
But this is a Man United side in disarray, having recorded their lowest finish in 2024/25 since 1974/75. In many ways, it’s the best time for Leeds to be facing Ruben Amorim’s team. There is every chance he is not in charge by the time they meet in January, though.
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That is because of the latest reveal regarding their form since he was instated as manager in November of last year. Amorim’s side finished 15th last season in the league, but they have been the worst Premier League team when excluding recently promoted teams.
Without the three recently-relegated sides and the three newly-promoted teams, Man United are 17th out of 17 in an overall table. It’s staggering to even look at and comes via Opta.
On Twitter/X, they state: “Since MD12 of 2024-25 (Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of Man Utd), no ever-present Premier League team have performed worse than Manchester United (31 points from 31 games, -13 goal difference).”
By the time January rolls around, Leeds won’t have beaten them in a league fixture in 23 years and four months. By the time the fixture at Elland Road is due, Leeds may not have beaten them in 23 years and seven months.
Either way, both games present the opportunity to win and it is the time to put an end to over 23 years of misery. There’s a decent chance that there won’t be a better chance than this for Leeds for a while, even if their old foe are a shadow of their former selves right now.
Wimbledon V Leeds United Football 1995
Photo by Phil Harris/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Leeds’ Christmas Eve game against Man United in 1995
Man United have fallen far but Leeds now have more hope than they have for some time. The most famous win in recent memories is, obviously, that Beckford winner at Old Trafford.
However, the most convincing demolition job from Leeds came all the way back in 1995 on Christmas Eve. Tony Yeboah scored a wonderful goal and Leeds ran out 3-1 winners.
Prior to Chelsea facing Wolves last Christmas Eve, Leeds’ win over Man United was the last game to be played on that day. It was 28 years between the games.
Leeds will be hoping for some late-Christmas magic in early January when they travel across the Pennines.