Premier League: Manchester United complete comeback in thrilling Leeds draw
Jadon Sancho was the hero of the hour for Manchester United as the Red Devils fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with managerless Leeds United at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Fresh from the sacking of Jesse Marsch, Michael Skubala’s Whites stunned the Theatre of Dreams with Wilfried Gnonto’s 55-second strike and Raphael Varane’s own goal early in the second half.
However, Marcus Rashford reduced the deficit for the hosts before Sancho – making his first Premier League appearance since October – forced a share of the spoils in an enthralling contest.
Many wondered how an in-form Man United side would cope without one-man midfield screen Casemiro, serving his suspension after seeing red against Crystal Palace, and it only took 55 seconds for the Red Devils’ fears to come true.
Fans were still taking their seats when Pascal Struijk challenged Bruno Fernandes heavily but fairly, and the ball broke kindly for Gnonto to play a one-two with Patrick Bamford.
Despite being surrounded by a sea of red shirts, the effervescent Gnonto picked out the bottom corner from the edge of the box, stunning the Old Trafford crowd into silence.
In doing so, Gnonto scored the second-quickest goal against Man United at Old Trafford in the Premier League, only being beaten by Edin Dzeko’s strike for Manchester City within 43 seconds in March 2014.
The Whites were in dreamland, but they were forced into a change with just eight minutes gone as Luis Sinisterra was taken off, with Crysencio Summerville taking his place.
Sinisterra’s early withdrawal did not disrupt Leeds’ momentum, as Erik ten Hag’s side just could not get a foothold in the game and were grateful to see David de Gea tip a Struijk header away with 12 minutes gone.
However, Struijk would be the next Leeds casualty in the 23rd minute, coming off as a concussion substitute after feeling the full force of a Rashford effort, as Man United began to turn the screw.
Alejandro Garnacho was seemingly destined to level matters in the 27th minute after skipping past Illan Meslier, but Maximilian Wober did brilliantly to get back and clear the teenager’s effort off the line.
As the teams emerged for the second 45, Rashford moved across to his favoured left-hand side as Garnacho swapped to the right, but the second half would start in a near-identical vein to the first.
Garnacho was crowded out by Leeds players inside his own half in the 48th minute, and the ball worked its way to Summerville, whose cutback across the six-yard box deflected off Varane into the back of the net.
Ten Hag introduced both Facundo Pellistri and Sancho in a desperate attempt to spark a comeback, and the former was involved in a Man United attack that would finally bear fruit just a minute after coming on.
Taking the ball down in the right-hand side of the box on the hour mark, Pellistri fed Diogo Dalot for the right-back to send a first-time cross into the box, and Rashford leapt highest to direct a header into the far corner for his 20th goal of the season.
Leeds rattled the woodwork three minutes later through a Brenden Aaronson free kick in an attempt to restore their two-goal lead, but in the 70th minute, Sancho would mark his Premier League return with a timely goal, combining well with Luke Shaw down the left before advancing into the box and curling home the equaliser into the centre of the goal.
The Red Devils had a magnificent chance to wrap up all three points in the 87th minute, but Rashford mishit his attempt from Fernandes’s free kick, and there were no more goals to be had in five minutes of added time.
Ten Hag’s men remain third in the table – having missed the chance to go level on points with Manchester City – while Leeds have risen above West Ham United into 16th, and the two sides will immediately renew hostilities in Sunday’s clash at Elland Road.
