Leeds United resumed their Premier League survival bid with Monday night’s clash against fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Leeds United gave themselves an enormous boost in their quest for Premier League survival as a brilliant brace from Noah Okafor sealed a 2-1 win at arch rivals Manchester United for a first league win at Old Trafford since 1981.
Swiss international attacker Okafor was one of three Leeds injury doubts for the contest but all three of them started and two excellent Okafor finishes in the first half ultimately gave his side a massive three points.
A dominant Whites could and should have been out of sight at half time and again after Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez was sent off midway through the second half for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair.
Despite having a man less, the Red Devils set up a grandstand finish as Bruno Fernandes teed up Casemiro to start a potential comeback but Daniel Farke’s held firm for a monster win that sent them six points clear of the dropzone with just six games left.
Leeds squandered a brilliant chance to go ahead with just three minutes on the clock as a lovely low cross from Gabi Gudmundsson picked out Dominic Calvert-Lewin who fired his shot from close range straight at keeper Senne Lammens who saved.
The Whites, though, went ahead just two minutes later as a cross from the other side of the pitch from Jayden Bogle fell to Noah Okafor after Calvert-Lewin challenged Leny Yoro and Okafor produced a lovely first time finish into the bottom right corner of the net
The Red Devils were very slow to get going but Amad Diallo fired in the home side's first attempt in the 12th minute with a low shot from the edge of the area to which Karl Darlow got down well to save
Amad was looking like the clear main Red Devils threat and the winger again cut in from the right past Gudmundsson just before the 20th minute but sent his low shot wide of the left hand post.
But both Leeds full backs were causing problems at the other end and another cross from Bogle was hacked behind for a corner which led to a chance for Jaka Bijol who sent a header wide.
Back up the other end, Amad lost his footing when picked out in the box but back came Leeds, Calvert-Lewin unable to flick home after more bright play from Bogle and Okafor.
But the Red Devils defence looked at all sea and a failure to clear several balls into the box led to the Whites doubling their lead on the half hour mark though Okafor who bagged his second goal of the game with a superb volley from the edge of the box.
The hosts looked to respond and Matheus Cunha who had early been booked for simulation fired a decent effort just over the bar from 20 yards after a Red Devils corner.
Whites defender James Justin was then booked for smashing into Cunha on the touchline but another Leeds chance then presented itself as another lovely cross from Bogle picked out Calvert-Lewin whose header on the stretch sailed wide.
The brilliant Bogle then came up with a huge contribution at the other end as he cleared a deep Bruno Fernandes cross for a corner which ended with Noussair Mazraoui hammering a shot well wide.
But the half ended with Leeds squandering two more brilliant chances to bag a third goal, Ao Tanaka looking certain to score after intercepting as the Red Devils made a mess of playing out from the back only for Lisandro Martinez to produce a goal saving challenge on the line.
From a subsequent corner, Tanaka's delivery picked out Pascal Struijk but his free header was saved by Lammens as part of a half in which Leeds could and should have been out of sight, Michael Carrick's men booed off at the break.
Carrick surprisingly did not make any changes at the interval and his side almost pulled a goal back a few minutes after the restart through Benjamin Sesko who beat Bijol but saw his shot saved by Darlow before Justin headed over the bar on the line with the ball set to drop in.
But things got even worse for the Red Devils just before the hour mark as VAR intervened as Martinez pulled Calvert-Lewin's hair as he challenged for a header, referee Paul Tierney sent to his monitor and retuning to give Martinez a straight red card for violent conduct.
Now with a man advantage, Leeds continued to create a stream of chances, Justin seeing two efforts deflected wide and Gudmundsson sending a shot the wrong side of the post after a storming run from the halfway line.
But the Red Devils kept going and a strong save from Darlow was needed to turn a fierce stroke from Cunha behind for a corner. Cunha in particular was causing a threat and the hosts pulled a goal back in the 69th minute as another deep cross from Fernandes picked out Casemiro who converted with a looping header at the far post.
The game was now incredibly stretched and Whites boss Daniel Farke made a double change as Willy Gnonto and Ilia Gruev were brought on to replace Okafor and Tanaka.
Leeds got themselves some decent possession of the ball which was exactly what was needed and the Whites then squandered another glorious chance to finish the game as a Bogle cross teed up Calvert-Lewin whose header was just about saved by Lammens on his line.
But at other end a brilliant tackle by Bijol was needed to stop substitute Bryan Mbeumo in his tracks and Darlow then saved Leeds again with a strong stop to thwart Cunha.
The game was far from done and Darlow then produced a massive save to keep out a Sesko header. Moments later, Calvert-Lewin saved the day with a brilliant headed goalline clearance from a corner.
Leeds then had to see out seven minutes of added time but in truth it passed without one more major chance for the hosts as part of an incredible night to remember for Leeds United Football Club and Farke’s Whites.
Leeds United vs Man United: Darlow; Bogle, Justin, Bijol, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Ampadu, Tanaka, Aaronson, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Perri, Byram, Bornauw, Longstaff, Gruev, Gnonto, Buonanotte, Piroe, Nmecha.
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