Jadon Sancho’s equaliser was a sweet moment for a player returning from physical and mental wellbeing issues. When he crashed in on 70 minutes the sound from Manchester United’s delirious fans was matched by the dazzling grin from Erik ten Hag
Erik Tag said ”Mixed feelings. Of course in the end we were happy to win a point – but we dropped two points. It’s a very bad start, unacceptable, especially in a derby you have to be ready to battle and take responsibility. We didn’t do that.”
Did the quick start surprise the players? “It looked like it but not me. [We knew] they will go aggressive, front foot, against a team on a good run they’ll try to get into duels and that’s what they did.
“We created great chances. Garnacho twice. Sabitzer. The header of Raphael. At half-time we had to equalise. If you start the second half the same as the first half you make it really difficult.
“I have to complement the team and resilience to fight back. We made two great team goals.
On bringing Jadon Sancho on: “I wanted a different dynamic. In that moment we weren’t in the game. Luckily it succeeded because we scored two goals. Very happy. He’s all the way back. We know he’s a magnificent player. I think consistently he can have a big impact. But he has to work hard. It will motivate him to get more. I really enjoyed it, especially for him. It will strengthen him.
“If you play a derby you need a different attitude. You have to start and be ready and take responsibilty, win your battles and be composed on the ball.”
Leeds had caught their hosts not so much cold as in a deep-freeze. Just 56 seconds were gone when Bruno Fernandes was hustled by Pascal Struijk. The ball went to Wilfried Gnonto who exchanged passes with Patrick Bamford before drilling past a flat-footed David De Gea.
The Old Trafford faithful were stunned, Ten Hag in stare-mode, rooted to his seat. On the touchline, Michal Skubala punched air in delight. The co-caretaker, a former England futsal coach and Leeds Under-21 manager, only had 24 hours to prepare his charges following Jesse Marsch’s sacking, and on this evidence had used them prudently.
Fernandes was having a stinker. In striving to save a throw-in he next gave the ball to Leeds for a corner. Crysencio Summerville, on for the injured Luis Sinisterra, tapped the ball on, a cross went in, and Bamford’s flick was chested goalwards by Struijk and Diogo Dalot cleared off the line.
By now, Ten Hag was standing and glaring from the technical area. He saw Marcel Sabitzer, making his full debut, make a hash of a volley but his team were finally settling. A quick break saw Fernandes flicking the ball to Alejandro Garnacho. The youngster thumped wide of Illan Meslier’s goal.
Leeds players celebrate going 2-0 up against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Photograph: Simon Davies/ProSports/Shutterstock
Next, Marcus Rashford hammered the ball into Struijk’s face, leaving the defender poleaxed and, following treatment, he was replaced by Junior Firpo.
Fernandes is United’s box-to-box midfielder and on surging into Leeds’s area saw Fred’s chip go long, so the No 8 showed the Brazilian how to deliver the goods. This was a snaking pass that split Leeds and saw the lively Garnacho shoved, but still able to round Meslier. The 18-year-old coolly sold a dummy then hit what seemed to be the equaliser, only for Maximilian Wöber to head clear.
United had become a red blur that Leeds struggled to contain. Garnacho drew a foul on the left and took a Rashford cross, then saw Sabitzer shimmy with the ball on to his left and fashion a curler that Meslier beat out.
Before that Varane – via a boot and head – twice threatened to beat Meslier, whose fingers surely constantly tingled, and who was as defiant as the rest of the Leeds players, who were clearly here to fight.