Talking points from our win at Elland Road

Though the Reds struggled to carve out many clear-cut chances throughout the 90, two huge moments in the final 10 minutes were seized by Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho. 

From the electric atmosphere to important milestones, here are the key talking points from Elland Road. 

ELECTRIC ELLAND ROAD

The atmosphere inside Elland Road was buzzing from minute one until the final whistle. Unsurprisingly, the hosts made a quick start, and from carving out attacks to the challenges flying in, the home fans were in full voice. They weren’t afraid to make their thoughts heard, either. Whether it be a foul on their player or a booking, referee Paul Tierney felt the brunt of their force. Our travelling contingent may have been outnumbered, but they made sure they were heard - as they do every time we’re on the road. Rashford’s opener really helped them get into the spirit, and when Garnacho scored to make it two, the Reds were rocking in the away end.

FRED STANDS OUT

Fred deserves some appreciation after a solid display in the middle of the park against Leeds. It was a shaky start for the Brazilian, who was booked early on, but his second half display in particular was one to be pleased with. Fred was full of energy for the entirety of the match and was absolutely everywhere, making key interceptions and tackles to deny Leeds goalscoring opportunities. During the match, he regained possession with eight tackles – the most by any player in a single Premier League game since Kyle Walker-Peters in late 2020.

THE SUBS ARE AT IT AGAIN

Countless times this season, Erik ten Hag has said that games won by not just by the starting XI, but by the full squad. Once again today, he turned to his bench in need of a difference-maker and both Lisandro Martinez and Garnacho had the desired impact. The former brought some much-needed aggression into the backline, and the withdrawal of Tyrell Malacia allowed Shaw to shift across into left-back, where he would go on to assist Rashford’s opener. Fellow fearless Argentinian, Garnacho, played his part in the Reds securing all three points by scoring our second of the game. Ten Hag made the right changes at the right time, shifting the momentum in our favour to allow us to go on and win away from home.

THE UNSTOPPABLE MARCUS RASHFORD

Marcus is becoming the most inevitable player on the pitch. Our no.10 came up clutch once again for the Reds, with his bullet header as we entered the final stages of the game breaking the deadlock. The Englishman had few chances against the Whites, with the Reds struggling to carve out many penetrating attacks going forward, but when the opportunity arose, he took it. Ten Hag showed his appreciation post-match, with the two sharing a smile and a hug following the full-time whistle.

REDS REACH MILESTONES

Two of our players reached memorable landmarks for the club during our win against Leeds. David De Gea made his 400th Premier League appearance for United and earned a staggering 179th clean sheet for the Reds. Our no.1 was integral in us collecting all three points, pulling off a handful of exceptional saves at 0-0 to keep the win within our grasp. 

He was joined by Anthony Elanga in marking a special day. The young Swede made his 50th appearance for United when he came on in the late stages in place of Marcus Rashford, and there’s no better way to celebrate it than with a win against one of our rivals.