Five things learned as Manchester United draw to Leeds United (Premier League)

Manchester United came back from two goals down to salvage a point against Leeds United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Following their hard-fought win against Crystal Palace, United strived to continue their good run in the Premier League as they welcome their rivals to the Theatre of Dreams. Having just announced the sacking of manager Jesse Marsch, Leeds was led by their interim manager Michael Skubala.

Two early goals for the visitors in each half shocked United down to the very core. Chances came aplenty, but a lack of composure meant Leeds survived the first half with the lead intact. Erik ten Hag made some adjustments in the second half and managed to tie the game.

1) Two early goals cost United the game

The Old Trafford faithful were left stunned as Leeds scored two early goals in each half. The first was from a mistake on the build-up while the second goal happened due to the lack of communication between United’s defenders.

Conceding early really cost United the win tonight, since it gave Leeds more cushion to go out and play their game. The away side did not offer much in attack, but giving them the lead made it very comfortable for them in defence. Playing with a compact backline, Leeds was very difficult to break. Especially with French goalkeeper Ilan Meslier at the very top of his game today.

United will play Leeds again in a few days at Elland Road. Erik ten Hag needs to make sure that his players won’t concede another early goal for that upcoming game.

2) Playing out from the back is a problem

Since Erik ten Hag’s first game managing United, it was apparent that he was trying to implement his signature build-up style, which is playing out from the back. However, it seems like this style of playing is still pretty much a work in progress for the Reds.

Leeds’ shocking opener came after United tried to play out from the back. Diogo Dalot’s pass found Bruno Fernandes in unfamiliar territory on the right-hand side. He was then hurried off the ball and Gnonto pounced.

It was evident that United is missing a midfielder who could receive the ball from the defenders to initiate the “first phase” of playing out from the back, a role that Christian Eriksen performed admirably since the start of the season.

3) Marcus Rashford must not be played on the right

Following Antony’s injury, Ten Hag made an adjustment and played Marcus Rashford on the right. A switch to his unnatural position seemed to nullify the best trait of his game, which is cutting inside.

Rashford has obviously been United’s best player this season and moving him to the right made no sense whatsoever, especially with Jadon Sancho and Facundo Pellistri available on the bench to play that position from the start.

4) Jadon Sancho is back

As United struggled to break down Leeds’ compact defence, Ten Hag introduced Jadon Sancho to the game in the second half. His impact was clearly visible as his brilliant link-up play with Luke Shaw brought some life into United’s attacking patterns.

He was also supremely tidy in tight spaces, which suited perfectly when you’re playing opponents who stacked numbers on the back as Leeds did. Sancho scored United’s equaliser with a brilliantly taken finish inside the box. United’s chances of winning the next game will surely increase if Sancho plays a bigger part.

5) Casemiro’s absence hurt the team

United’s win in the previous game against Palace left a bittersweet taste because Casemiro was sent off. He has been performing at a world-class level all season long and tonight’s reaffirms the fact that he is United’s most important player.

Without the Brazilian talisman on the team, United lined up with Fred and Marcel Sabitzer in the middle. Since both of them are box-to-box midfielders, there was nobody that picked up Casemiro’s usual role in breaking-up opposition’s attacks.

As a result, Leeds found it very easy to play the ball through the middle and into their fast wingers. There are two games left on Casemiro’s suspension, United must find a way to deal with his absence in a couple of games to come.