Leeds United took a big step towards Premier League safety at Old Trafford on Monday.
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Leeds United have all but secured Premier League safety after a ‘wonderful’ win at Old Trafford that will scare Tottenham Hotspur, according to Gary Neville.
Noah Okafor’s first-half brace made history on Monday night as Leeds earned a first league win at Manchester United since 1981. The winger reacted quickly to finish a Jayden Bogle cross inside five minutes, doubling his tally on the half-hour mark when a volley deflected off Leny Yoro and beyond Senne Lammens.
Lisandro Martinez was sent off for a hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the second half and despite Casemiro pulling one back, Leeds held on to enjoy just a second away league win this season. That victory pulled them six points clear of Tottenham who are now in the relegation zone following a difficult 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Sunday.
“That is a performance I don't think Tottenham are capable of, and that's the scary thing for Tottenham,” Neville told his Sky Sports podcast after full-time. “It’s not just the six points, by the way, that Leeds United have gone clear of them tonight, but the actual performance levels they put in.
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“Spurs are nowhere near that, you watch them yesterday against Sunderland, it’s a set of ingredients that don't go together, a concoction of misfits. And then you watch Leeds tonight and there’s balance, there’s a flow. It was a wonderful night for them and I think that does secure Premier League survival for Leeds United this season.”
Leeds United not safe yet but Man Utd win a huge step forward
While no one in West Yorkshire will be complacent, Monday’s unexpected victory was a huge step towards safety for Leeds. It is the first time all season they will now need to drop a point-per-game compared to Tottenham - who they face next month - in order to finish in the bottom three.
Opta have predicted Leeds finish 15th for several weeks but their relegation chances are now shorter than ever, at just 1.6 per cent according to the statistical experts. That will likely reduce even further if they can beat Wolves on Saturday and, for a couple of hours at least, pull nine points clear.
Tottenham have also lost captain Christian Romero for the rest of the season after he suffered a knee injury at Sunderland. The defender collided with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while trying to shield the ball and left the pitch in tears.
He will therefore not be available when Leeds head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 11, joining a long list of absentees. The likes of Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been out for large periods.