Part two of the Leeds vs. Manchester United saga takes place just four days after their Premier League meeting at Old Trafford ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw. However, the four-day gap between the Old Trafford/Elland Road doubleheader is not the shortest between two Premier League meetings between two clubs. That honour goes to Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers, who played each other twice in three days in January 2010.
Leeds have not faced the same opponent in consecutive top-flight fixtures in the same season since April 1974, when they faced Sheffield United (0-0 at home, 2-0 away), and they have not faced Manchester United in consecutive league fixtures since April 1947. (1-3 away, 0-2 home).
This is the first time Manchester United has faced the same opponent in consecutive top-flight fixtures in the same season since December 1967, when they defeated Wolves 4-0 at home and 3-2 away on their way to finishing second that season. Leeds lost this match 4-2 last season, but they haven’t lost back-to-back home league games against Manchester United since October 1976. In fact, the Red Devils have won three Premier League away games against Leeds, winning 4-0 in September 1996, 4-3 in March 2002, and 4-2 last season. Only Arsenal (four times) have scored four or more goals as visitors in the competition at Elland Road. Leeds have a win ratio of just 14% and a points per game average of 0.72 against
Manchester United in the Premier League, which is lower than any other opposition they have faced more than five times, and they have only lost more frequently against Liverpool (17) overall. Leeds had not won either of their previous two Premier League games at Old Trafford when they had scored first (D1 L1) – it would become three games despite going 2-0 up thanks to a Raphael Varane own goal in the 48th minute.
On the hour mark, Marcus Rashford scored for the sixth consecutive league appearance at Old Trafford, cutting the lead in half, before Jadon Sancho equalised eight minutes later with his third Premier League goal of the season, equaling his tally for the entire 2021-22 campaign.
Erik ten Hag’s first season as Manchester United manager has seen them collect five points more than they did at this point last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, with 43 points from 22 Premier League matches. Two of United’s five Premier League defeats this season have come in their first two games under Ten Hag; since game week three, only Arsenal (43) has won more points than Man Utd (42).
Man Utd fans may be nervous because this match is on a Sunday. They’ve lost six of their last 11 Premier League Sunday games (W4 D1), including four of nine this season. Only in 2013-14 (five) and 2018-19 (six) did the Red Devils lose more Sunday games in a single season.
The Whites are currently on an eight-game Premier League winless streak, having lost to Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest while drawing with Manchester United, Brentford, West Ham United, and Newcastle United. That eight-game winless streak is the longest in the Premier League at the moment.
Match Prediction
Leeds United 1-3 Manchester United
