Leeds claim another point against ‘big six’ club with Manchester United draw

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Leeds Claim Another Point Against ‘Big Six’ Club With Manchester United Draw
Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds held Manchester United to a draw, © PA Wire/PA Images
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By Mark Walker, PA

Leeds claimed another deserved point against one of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ as they drew 0-0 with Manchester United at Elland Road.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side extended their unbeaten away league run to 24 matches, while Leeds have gone six undefeated in the Premier League for the first time since 2002.

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Leeds recently beat Manchester City with 10 men at the Etihad Stadium and followed that up at Elland Road on Monday night with a point against Liverpool.

A first win against their arch rivals since a stunning FA Cup upset in 2010 was beyond them, but their remarkable season shows no signs of petering out as they matched their visitors in a high-octane clash of few chances.

Leeds were reminded of the huge chasm that had opened up between the two clubs during their 16-year top-flight exile in a thumping 6-2 defeat to Solskjaer’s side in December.

Whites fans have waited nearly 20 years for a league win against Manchester United – Harry Kewell’s second-half header clinched it 1-0 in 2002 when Solskjaer was a United player – but this encounter has been overshadowed by the fall-out from the European Super League’s attempted coup.

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Manchester United’s team bus entered Elland Road with minimum fuss, in contrast to Monday night when angry Leeds fans, who had gathered in protest against the ill-fated Super League, hurled abuse at Liverpool’s squad.

Fans began their own protests at Old Trafford on Saturday and a banner which read ‘£2bn stolen #Glazers out’ was flown over Elland Road before kick-off.

In his programme notes, Leeds director Angus Kinnear described the Super League plans as “deeply cynical”, “seditious” and “a betrayal of every true football supporter”.

On the field, the first 45 minutes was high intensity, but low on chances.

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Harry Maguire deflected a cross over the bar with his knee and VAR deemed Luke Shaw had not handled in the penalty area when the ball struck his arm in the 20th minute.

Stuart Dallas’ low shot, easily gathered by Dean Henderson, was the game’s first effort on target in the 35th minute and the next, Marcus Rashford’s free-kick, was brilliantly saved by Illan Meslier just before the interval.

Bruno Fernandes dragged a shot wide early in the second period and the game opened up just after the hour-mark.

Ezgjan Alioski denied Dan James a clear shooting chance in the area and Leeds quickly broke upfield, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka deflecting Helder Costa’s shot over the crossbar.

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Mateusz Klich, a 72nd-minute replacement for Costa, curled a tame shot straight at Henderson after cutting inside, while Greenwood’s low effort failed to trouble Meslier.

In a frantic finale, Leeds looked just as likely to snatch a winner as the visitors, but both sides lacked the killer touch in the area to break the deadlock.

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