Report By Talal Osman
Leeds United picked up a vital win in the Premier League relegation battle as they defeated 10-man Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford. Noah Okafor's first-half brace was enough to secure a crucial three points for Daniel Farke's side, moving them six clear of the bottom three and handing Man Utd head coach Michael Carrick his first home defeat since taking charge. Okafor opened the scoring in the fifth minute before getting his second just before the half-hour mark, while Ao Tanaka missed a golden opportunity for a third. Lisandro Martinez was then shown a straight red card in the second half for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair, and though Casemiro’s header made things nervy, Leeds were able to hold off a wave of pressure from the hosts in the closing stages for their first league victory at Old Trafford since 1981. Carrick’s men stay level on 55 points with Aston Villa and just three ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, while Leeds remain in 15th spot after an important win in their battle to avoid relegation. How the match unfolded Alarm bells were ringing inside three minutes at Old Trafford when Man Utd goalkeeper Senne Lammens smothered an attempt from Calvert-Lewin, who failed to convert from Gabriel Gudmundsson's low cross into the six-yard box. Nevertheless, another cross, this time from Jayden Bogle, paid dividends soon after for Leeds as Okafor swept in following a poor headed clearance from Leny Yoro. Okafor then doubled his tally in the 29th minute, volleying in from outside the box after an initial flurry of chances saw Brenden Aaronson's shot blocked and United fail to clear their lines. Martinez denied a third just before the break, stopping Tanaka on the line after the midfielder had rounded Lammens, while Benjamin Sesko saw a shot first saved by Leeds 'keeper Karl Darlow and then cleared off the line by James Justin early in the second half. Man Utd's hopes of a comeback suffered a blow after 56 minutes Martinez was shown a red card following a VAR review for a hair pull on Calvert-Lewin, but the hosts did not give up. The Red Devils' persistence led to Casemiro halving the deficit by heading in from Bruno Fernandes' cross in the 69th minute, but Sesko and Casemiro both saw late headers cleared off the line as Leeds held on for a famous - and vital - win
