Match Coverage
Ones to Watch: Leeds United vs Manchester United (Premier League)
Manchester United will be keen to avenge a disappointing 2-2 draw midweek as they travel to Elland Road in the second of back-to-back league games against rivals Leeds United.
Wednesday night’s game against Leeds United will be a tough one for Erik ten Hag and his men to look back on. Going 0-1 down in the first minute, only to then concede early again in the second half was frustrating for the fans let alone the team and the manager, however, Manchester United came back later in the second half, equalising the score to 2-2 and coming close to scoring a winner on several occasions.
That being said, a trip to Elland Road is no mean feat and one that Manchester United must be wary of. In a very hostile environment, who will show up for United and clutch those crucial three points?
Jadon Sancho
After an extended period away from the pitch, all eyes will be on Jadon Sancho as he is expected to make his first start for Manchester United since the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in October 2022.
Sancho’s time at United has certainly been a mixed bag, one that rival fans have been keen to point out, scoring just 3 goals in 29 appearances (20 of which were starts) in the league last season.
It is important to note that last season was a tough time to join United, with a managerial change from Ole Gunnar Solskjær to Ralf Rangnick and the reintroduction of Cristiano Ronaldo, who many believe had a negative effect on the team, and so it is harsh to judge Sancho on last season alone.
In fact, in just 11 appearances (10 starts) Sancho has already matched his league goals last season, with the latest coming in the reverse fixture between Manchester United and Leeds when Sancho came off the bench to score the equaliser that saw United take a valuable point from the fixture and save some dignity.
Having now returned to full team training, Sancho will have surely continued to improve under the guidance of Erik ten Hag and will no doubt become the player we all expected him to be when he signed for United at the start of last season.
Wilfred Gnonto
Gnonto has been unstoppable for Leeds United this season, filling in the gap which was expected to be left by last season’s star man Raphinha. Since signing for Leeds from FC Zurich on deadline day in September for just €10 million, Gnonto has undoubtedly been one of Leeds United’s best players, quickly becoming a fan favourite for his high work rates and energetic runs.
Whilst he has only scored 2 league goals in 10 appearances (8 starts), including the one in the first minute of the game against Manchester United on Wednesday, Gnonto has looked capable of scoring hat tricks when he plays and, being just 19-years-old, his confidence and skills are likely to continue to grow.
Gnonto mostly plays in the LW position for Leeds meaning that, as was the case midweek, he will be up against Diogo Dalot who is once again up for a tough game this weekend. If Gnonto continues his form, and Dalot struggles once again coming back from injury, then he could cause some real problems for Manchester United.
Leeds United vs Manchester United kicks off at 14:00 GMT on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR in the United Kingdom.
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