Noah Okafor was the Leeds United hero at Old Trafford.
Old Trafford match-winner Noah Okafor insists the credit belongs with everyone at Leeds United following a historic 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
Okafor’s brilliant brace earned Leeds a first league victory at Old Trafford since 1981 on Monday night - a result which pulled them six points clear of the relegation zone. He opened the scoring with a quick-thinking finish from Jayden Bogle’s cross inside five minutes before a deflected volley made it 2-0 before the half-hour mark.
Okafor will be remembered in Leeds for decades as the player who ended a 45-year wait for league glory at fierce rivals Manchester United. But the winger put a spotlight on his teammates and backroom staff members for a deserved three points at Champions League-chasing opposition.
"I think that I can score and help the team,” Okafor told Sky Sports. “For this I am very happy and proud. But to every player, every staff member that is with us, a big compliment because we were fighting to the end and we deserved the three points.
"I think I hit well, I tried because if you don't try then the ball can't go in. I tried and scored my second goal so really happy about that. It brought us even more into the game and we knew we had to defend as a team. We did well so really, really excited and happy."
The only frustration going into half-time was that Leeds weren’t out of sight. Even before Okafor’s fifth-minute opener, Calvert-Lewin failed to convert a Gabriel Gudmundsson cross from inside the six-yard box while Ao Tanaka spurned an incredible chance shortly before half-time after rounding Senne Lammens.
Noah Okafor looks ahead after huge Leeds United win
Martinez’s red card gave Manchester United nothing to lose and after some attacking changes, they pulled one back on 69 minutes. Casemiro was free at the back post from a second-phase set-play to head home a Bruno Fernandes cross and set the nerves jangling.
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A first league win at Old Trafford in 45 years will be remembered for a long time but of more immediate importance was the three points. The Whites are now six clear of 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur with six games to play, knowing victory over Wolves on Saturday would send them nine clear for a period.
"We knew the [Man Utd] goal was not at the right moment so we had another 20-30 minutes to survive,” Okafor added. “We had to defend and attack as a team. We take this and we keep looking forwards."
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