McTominay shares the scars of a ‘proper game’
Manchester United’s victory over Leeds United on Sunday afternoon was a fierce affair, with both sides committing a total of 32 fouls between them, and referee Paul Tierney brandishing nine yellow cards.
One player who was at the heart of the midfield battle was born-and-bred Red Scott McTominay.
The combative midfielder covered a lot of ground for the Reds - 11.16 kilometres to be exact, a game-high - and matched the hosts’ intensity to allow fellow midfielders Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes to influence the match.
United overcame the challenge at Elland Road, winning 4-2 to record a second successive Premier League win and further strengthen the grip on fourth place.
Scott, who was booked himself, took to social media after the match to express his delight at such a vital win.
The Scotland international uploaded a series of images to Instagram, aptly captioned ‘proper game’, the fourth of which showed his ankle visibly scarred from his exploits at Elland Road (see above).
McTominay was on the receiving end of some bullish challenges from the Leeds players, and the midfielder gave as good as he got, registering three tackles and two interceptions. He also helped United regain possession nine times in atrocious conditions in Yorkshire.
And the 25-year-old’s efforts are appreciated by his teammates, as Bruno Fernandes demonstrated after the match.
Speaking to MUTV after the game, Fernandes praised both Fred and McTominay, stating: “[Fred] and Scott [McTominay] are two players who are really important for us in many games.”
Six times Scott got stuck in
🏴👊 Here are six of our favourite McTominay moments from an old-school battle against Leeds...
In addition, interim manager Ralf Rangnick was pleased with the way his players fought for one another to achieve the victory on the sodden Elland Road pitch.
He said: “We showed maturity and unity on the pitch and that’s why I’m proud with that the boys did today.”