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A six-goal thriller came to an end as Manchester United beat Leeds United 4-2 at Elland Road in the Premier League on Sunday. Goals from Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Elanga and a mighty winning strike from Fred sealed the victory for the Red Devils in prime fashion.
Manchester United have been at the center of criticism for quite some time now. However, with back-to-back wins to their name, the Red Devils will look to solidify their position in 4th place.
After two first-half goals by Maguire and Fernandes, the game seemed far off Leeds United's reach. But Marcelo Bielsa had other plans. Raphinha and Joe Gelhardt were subbed on for the second half and they completely changed the game around.
The men in white scored two goals in under a minute to level the game, just ten minutes into the second half. It seemed like one of those days for Manchester United when their lack of concentration and inconsistency had led to dropped points.
But Ralf Ragnick decided to bring on Fred for Paul Pogba in the 65th minute and that was certainly a game-changer for the visitors. After a clean one-two with Jadon Sancho, the Brazilian unleashed a lethal left-footed shot past Illan Meslier to make it 3-2 for the away side.
After Manchester United's third goal, Leeds seemingly were running on empty. Bielsa exhausted all his substitutes and the home side never looked like scoring a third. In the 88th minute, Elanga latched onto a Bruno Fernades pass to secure the three points for his side.
On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 After 140 attempts, Manchester United finally score a goal from a corner!
Goals galore at Elland Road but the spotlight should be on Harry Maguire. The Englishman has ended United's corner goal-drought and has shut his critics up with a brilliant performance away against an intense attacking side.
Although Rodrigo is not a striker naturally, the Spaniard was far from a threat to Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. The centre-back pairing competed very well against whatever Leeds had to offer.
Harry Maguire, with a well-timed run into the box, scored a brilliant header to open the scoring in the 34th minute. Diego Llorente got bullied off the ball during the build-up to the goal as the Spaniard was no match for Maguire's physical presence in the box.
The goal couldn't have come at a better time for the 28-year-old. The costliest centre-back of all time has been under scrutiny for months now, and this goal would certainly do a bit of good for his confidence.
#4 Jadon Sancho brought the fire and ice to Leeds United!
It’s best to believe this is just the beginning. Jadon Sancho bagged a much deserved Man of the Match award for his outstanding performance at Elland Road tonight. The 21-year-old racked up the most assists, most key passes, most dribbles and most touches inside the box for Manchester United this game, and he is just getting better.
Ralf Ragnick seems to prefer Jadon Sancho over Marcus Rashford as the left-winger in his team, due to the former's technical ability and positional flexibility. Rashford likes to play out wide and make in-behind runs, while Sancho can operate extremely well in between the lines as an extra midfielder in certain situations.
The former Dortmund man set up Fernandes in the 49th minute with a lovely dink over Leeds' defense and also played a huge role in the final two goals of the game, scored by Fred and Elanga. With two goals and two assists in the Premier League to his name, the €85 million man is gradually getting himself up to speed.
#3 Inefficient Leeds drop vital 2 points in the race for survival
Leeds United currently find themselves 15th in the league table, just 4 points above the relegation spot. The Peacocks have won just one of their last five games in the league, losing three in the process.
Injuries have played a huge role in the lackluster performances by Leeds this season, but an extremely poor defense and lack of accuracy in the final third is the reason why Leeds find themselves where they are right now.
After scoring two goals to come back into the game, the hosts crumbled in less than 15 minutes to concede a third as they simply could not hold onto a point. As we enter the business end of the season, every point will be crucial for the teams fighting for survival.
While Bielsa's men are safe right now, Watford and Newcastle are certainly doing bits in their pursuit to stay in the top flight, while Leeds continue to lose games on the run.
#2 A silent day for Cristiano Ronaldo
When it's Leeds United you're playing against, opposition strikers know they are in for a treat. However, it was a different day for Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the early minutes of the game, the Portuguese saw his attempt from point-blank range saved by Meslier after a lovely low cross from Paul Pogba.
That was the first and last time Ronaldo had any impact on the game, as he was barely visible throughout the 90 minutes, although his team scored four goals.
After ending his eight-game goal drought in the previous match against Brighton, people would've bet on Ronaldo to be on the scoresheet again this time around against one of the worst defenses in the league. But credit to Pascal Struijk for containing the Portuguese.
#1 Can Manchester United qualify for the Champions League next season?
After a busy transfer window last summer, not many would've expected Manchester United to struggle to finish in the top four in the Premier League. But here we are.
Ralf Ragnick's men have a four-point lead over West Ham and Arsenal, who sit at 5th & 6th respectively. While West Ham have played 26 games, similar to United, Arsenal and 7th placed Tottenham with 39 points have played three fewer games than Manchester United.
However, it is always better to have points on the board than games in hand. Manchester United are unbeaten in their last five games in the league and now face a run of crucial games. The Red Devils will take on Watford next weekend, followed by away trips to Manchester City, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, as well as hosting Tottenham & Atletico at Old Trafford.
The games are coming in thick and fast, and whether Ragnick's men have what it takes to achieve their season objectives will be crystal clear in the next four weeks.
