Leeds United and Manchester United played out a fiercely contested 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Sunday, with neither side able to find a winner in a high-intensity game.
Leeds went into the clash with many expecting them to come out on top, given Manchester United’s inconsistent start to the season and the internal tensions that had made headlines in the build-up.
Few pundits fancied the visitors leaving Elland Road with anything to show for it, with Chris Sutton going as far as predicting a 5-0 win for the Whites.
But football rarely follows the script. Both sides battled hard, matched each other for long spells and refused to give their rivals an easy ride. In the end, neither could find a decisive breakthrough, and both settled for a point apiece.
Jamie Carragher makes surprise Elland Road claim
Former Liverpool defender has insisted that, barring Arsenal and Manchester City, any team getting a point against Leeds at Elland Road is a good result.
He believes Manchester United should see this as a positive, as they avoided defeat at Elland Road.
However, he conceded that while the point looks good in isolation, Manchester United’s recent results mean they needed a win against Leeds today.
“Man Utd should see that as a positive. Going to Leeds now is tough for any team”, Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“I think barring Man City and Arsenal, if you get a point away at Elland Road for any team in the Premier League it is a good result.
“Man Utd will take that. The problem for them is that, because of the late start, they have been so poor; they need to get points on the board.
“It might feel like two points dropped, but in isolation, going to Leeds away and performing as they did, that is a good result.”
Leeds would have wanted to win
The Whites were the favourites to win today at Elland Road, and a section of the fans could be disappointed that they squandered this opportunity to beat Manchester United.
Michael Carrick’s team faced questions on and off the pitch. However, they battled hard to walk away with a point from Elland Road.
But Leeds could have, and probably, should have done better to ensure they made the most of their rivals’ woes and win all three points.
