Being forced to navigate the final 20 minutes of their clash with Crystal Palace with 10 men was not what the doctor ordered for Man United, especially when the player sent for an early bath was one-man midfield screen Casemiro after he inexcusably grabbed Will Hughes round the neck with two hands.
However, the Red Devils had already put themselves two goals to the good by that point through Bruno Fernandes’s penalty and Marcus Rashford’s 10th Premier League goal of the season, and the hosts held on despite Jeffrey Schlupp’s looping consolation.
Those early-season defeats to Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion now feel like an eternity ago for Erik ten Hag’s men, who are in the driving seat for Champions League football as they sit
comfortably in third place in the Premier League table, and Manchester City are now just three points clear of their local adversaries following their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
A fourth successive win in all competitions only helps further build up a head of steam for Man United ahead of their double-legged Europa League tie with Barcelona and EFL Cup final versus Newcastle United later this month, and each of the Red Devils’ last 13 home games has ended in victory.
Ten Hag’s prolific charges have found the back of the net at least twice in 12 of those contests – the exception being a 1-0 win over West Ham United in October – and a tally of six league goals conceded at Old Trafford is the joint-best home defensive record in the league alongside Newcastle.
Links >> Stream 1 HD Stream 2 HD Stream 3 HD Stream 4 HD
Fiery past contests between Man United and Leeds from years gone by have been firmly consigned to history for those in white, whose brief three-game unbeaten run in all tournaments came to a bitter end against Forest last time out.
The in-form Brennan Johnson struck a sublime 14th-minute volley to settle the match, and despite their best efforts, Leeds could not find a way through inspired Forest debutant Keylor Navas, further extending their miserable winless run in the Premier League.
Now without victory in seven top-flight games since their thrilling 4-3 success over Bournemouth on November 5, Jesse Marsch’s brief time at the helm was brought to an end earlier this week, and Michael Skubala takes temporary charge with the Whites sat 17th in the rankings
