The England winger scored his first Premier League goal in five months as United fought back to earn a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford
Erik ten Hag has spent six months casting himself as a harsh disciplinarian determined to whip Manchester United into shape, but even he failed to withhold a smile from the touchline when Jadon Sancho came off the bench to net the leveller against Leeds United on Wednesday.
The England winger only just returned to the United team after spending several lonely months rehabilitating his confidence. His 70th-minute goal, coming as he followed up a blocked cross without hesitation, prevented Manchester United from their first home loss to Leeds since 2010.
Sancho finished the two-goal turnaround started by Marcus Rashford, who headed in Diogo Dalot’s looped cross in the 62nd minute.
But the positive vibes created by Sancho could not completely offset the damage of dropped points against relegation-battling Leeds. Casemiro’s three-match ban had an immediate effect as the Red Devils’ midfield looked weak and disorganised. Conceding in the first three minutes of each half was unacceptable.
Manchester United are now three points up on Newcastle for third place and four points ahead of Tottenham for the final Champions League qualification spot.
GOAL breaks down the winners, losers and ratings from the Red Devils’ draw…
The Winners
Jadon Sancho:
The thin margin between success and failure at this level is often determined by reflexes and assuredness. Yes, stars can create goals on their own, but they must also pounce on loose 50/50 balls and arrow them into the net. Sancho hasn’t done much of that at Old Trafford. Too often, he’s seemed stuck in his own head. On Wednesday, though, he quickly picked up possession in a traffic jam from a blocked Luke Shaw cross and swerved a shot past Illan Meslier. You could see his confidence after he scored that goal, even if it didn’t lead to a winner. Manchester United need more of that in the coming months.
Tottenham:
Spurs are enjoying this sudden turnaround for their top-four hopes. They stunned Manchester City on Sunday and now have a chance to gain additional ground with Manchester United unexpectedly dropping points against Leeds.
Wilfried Gnonto:
The 19-year-old executed a one-two with Patrick Bamford, drove at United’s defence and fired a first-minute shot past David de Gea just before Lisandro Martinez could close him down. When people talk about the speed of the Premier League, the split-second choices a player must make at a high level, they mean moments like this, up against a Champions League-calibre opponent in hostile territory. The youngest player in the Whites’ line-up made it look easy to give them a crucial lift, and he also forced Raphael Varane into an own goal to begin the second half. Signing Gnonto at the summer deadline for just £4 million was a masterstroke from Leeds. A heist of Zurich, really, that could change the course of the club like Raphinha did previously.
Tyler Adams:
Next to fellow United States men’s national team star Weston McKennie in midfield, Adams took full advantage of Manchester United’s Casemiro-sized void. He forced Bruno Fernandes into the giveaway that sprung Leeds for Gnonto’s early goal and continued to mix smart ball pressure and urgency to get the ball moving upon winning possession.
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The Losers
Wout Weghorst:
It’s difficult for someone so physically large to disappear, but the towering Weghorst went completely missing as United tried to respond to Leeds’ surprise opener. When he departed, everything changed and the Red Devils rescued a point. This could be a turning point in Ten Hag’s opinion of the forward.
Casemiro:
A silly, silly suspension from the midfielder has cost Manchester United again. He missed the team’s 3-2 defeat to Arsenal on January 22 because of an unnecessary yellow card against Crystal Palace before his red-card offence against the same opponent on Saturday prompted a three-match ban. The Red Devils missed his experience on Wednesday; relying on the combination of Fred and Marcel Sabitzer, who had never started alongside one another, was always a risk. Every time Leeds won the ball in midfield, there was concern at Old Trafford that they could expand their lead.
Fred:
Manchester United fans are roasting Fred on social media right now, even though he didn’t make any crucial errors that led to Leeds’ goals. His problem is more that he can’t seem to control a Premier League match, and without Casemiro, the team couldn’t afford him to be a passenger. Again, he contributed too little.
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Man Utd Ratings: Defence
David de Gea (6/10):
Not at fault for either goal and made a nice save from an awkward position when Pascal Struijk chested a deflected cross towards the target.
Diogo Dalot (6/10):
Taken to school by Gnonto on several occasions. Didn’t let his head drop, though, and provided the assist for Rashford with an accurate, high-arching cross.
Raphael Varane (5/10):
Needed to put in a world-class performance and really lead with Casemiro out. While the own goal was a case of misfortune, his overall performance left a lot to be desired. Had the best chance at a winner but saw his header saved.
Lisandro Martinez (5/10):
Almost created a goal out of nothing in the first half when he scrambled to win a ball in the box and nudged it to Sabitzer. May have kicked Patrick Bamford in the face later on – his intention there is up for debate.
Luke Shaw (6/10):
Lukewarm. His blocked cross fell into the path of Sancho for the equaliser, but not much of an impact beyond that.
Midfield
Fred (5/10):
Didn’t pick up the defensive slack left by Casemiro. Didn’t ignite positive attacking play. Frustrating.
Marcel Sabitzer (5/10):
Probably should have hit the target when Martinez popped a ball onto his path for an early volley. Did some nice individual work to create long-shot opportunities for himself, including one that forced a difficult save, but never meshed with team-mates.
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Attack
Alejandro Garnacho (6/10):
Brought into the starting line-up with Antony and Anthony Martial unavailable. Couldn’t convert two significant first-half chances, dragging wide a cross from Fernandes in the 18th minute and then rounding the goalkeeper but shooting too close to defender Max Wober, who headed clear, in the 27th minute. Less involved as the match progressed.
Bruno Fernandes (6/10):
Lost possession at the start of Leeds’ early goalscoring move but was good after that. The main attacking mastermind with Rashford slightly out of sorts, particularly in the first half, and Weghorst nowhere to be found. Came close to assisting a winner with a ball to Varane.
Marcus Rashford (6/10):
Moved back to his favoured left wing following a woeful opening 45 minutes, and it clearly made a difference. Powered in a difficult header to bring United back into the game, but he can only save them so many times.
Wout Weghorst (4/10):
Well below Manchester United quality. If he can’t exploit one of the most porous defences in the Premier League, what’s he doing here?
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Subs & Manager
Jadon Sancho (8/10):
Scored his first Premier League goal since September 1, and it was huge, the curling shot from a scrambled play levelling the match at 2-2.
Facundo Pellistri (6/10):
His nice turn set in motion Manchester United’s first goal.
Tyrell Malacia (6/10):
Not enough time to make an impact.
Victor Lindelof (5/10):
Replaced Sabitzer but didn’t add anything to the cause.
Erik ten Hag (6/10):
Made the strange choice to switch Rashford to the right side of the attack to accommodate Garnacho, and while the Argentine teenager did get into dangerous positions in the early going, Rashford’s effectiveness dropped off. To his credit, he righted the mistake in the second half.
Source: www.goal.com
