Seven things we noticed during Leeds away

For the first time in 18 years, the Reds visited the famous old ground for a Premier League encounter and, surprisingly, it finished goalless in Yorkshire, in a game where United dominated both the chances and possession. 

In the first half, the Reds had the majority of the openings, with Marcus Rashford coming closest with a superbly hit free-kick, only to be denied by a solid save by Illan Meslier in the Leeds net.

After the interval, Bruno Fernandes was inches from putting United ahead, but a low-driven shot just went the wrong side of the post. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men kept the pressure on in search of a winner but, unfortunately, it was not to be. 

Although the match finished goalless, there were still plenty of talking points following an intense battle...

BACK IN LEEDS

Sunday’s encounter was the first time since 2003 that United had visited Elland Road for a Premier League match. In the 18 years since, we have visited the Whites’ home on just one occasion, a League Cup tie in 2011, where Paul Pogba made his Reds debut and we ran out 3-0 winners. In our 53 away games against Leeds, the Reds have won 22, drawn 16 and lost 15.

REFRESHED REDS

For the first time this season – if we look away from the weeks where we have returned from international breaks – United were without a midweek game and had a whole week to prepare for the match against Marcelo Bielsa’s side. It was evident that the Reds were full of energy from the off, pressuring Leeds in their own half and controlling the play in Yorkshire. 

AWAY RUN CONTINUES

Following the 0-0 draw, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remains unbeaten away from home in the league this season. The Reds have now gone 24 matches unbeaten (W15, D9) in the Premier League, the second longest streak in the competition’s history. The only stretch longer than that was 27 matches, set by Arsenal between April 2003 and September 2004.

200 FOR PAUL

Paul Pogba started the game on the bench but came on to make his 200th United appearance on Sunday. Coincidently, the landmark was reached in the same stadium in which he made his first, 10 years ago. The Frenchman has been a vital part of the Reds midfield since he rejoined the club from Juventus in 2016. This season, our no. 6 has racked up seven goals and five assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.

DAN BACK ON “FAMILIAR TERRITORY”

Our Welsh international got the chance to start against Leeds but it could have been the other way around. On transfer deadline day in January 2019, James was very close to joining the Whites from Swansea – but the deal collapsed with just minutes to go. James played out the campaign in Wales before getting snapped up by the Reds the following summer. To make things worse for the Yorkshire outfit, our no. 21 even scored against Leeds in our 6-2 triumph back in December.

FLYING FULL-BACKS

As well as keeping a clean sheet – our 13th of the Premier League campaign – Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw showcased their attacking qualities, running up the flanks to provide excellent service for his team-mates. The latter has now provided 11 chances in his last two Premier League games and in 2021 he has created more chances than any other player in the division. The duo stood firm when called upon defensively as well, with Wan-Bissaka pulling off a crucial block in the second half as a ball was deflected onto the roof of the net behind Dean Henderson.

NEXT UP

United are back in midweek action on Thursday as we welcome Roma to Old Trafford for the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final. The encounter with the Serie A side kicks off at 20:00 BST, with the return leg in the Italian capital scheduled for the following Thursday. In our next Premier League fixture, we face Liverpool at the Theatre of Dreams.