Manchester United will be eager to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday.
Gameweek 23 of the 2022/23 Premier League season will continue on Sunday, with two matches on the show. The action on the day will kick off at Elland Road, where Leeds United will host Manchester United, with both clubs keen on sealing a much-needed win.
Instability seems to follow Leeds United season after season. And that also seems to be the case this term, with Jesse Marsch no longer at the helm at Elland Road. After a solid start to the new campaign, the team’s form fell off a cliff, with the Whites now in the relegation battle. And with Marsch struggling to oversee a positive run of form, he fell on the chopping block.
Leeds responded well to the American manager’s departure, holding Manchester United to a 2-2 draw. And they will be eager to follow that result up with a win when the two sides meet again at Elland Road this weekend.
Speaking of Manchester United, the Red Devils have made giant strides under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag. They have already reached one cup final and remain alive in all competitions. But after dropping points in three of the last four games, Manchester United will be eager to embark on another winning run. The Hard Tackle now takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
🎙 Michael Skubala chats to the press ahead of Sunday's clash with Man Utd https://t.co/fBcLHfGLKn
— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 10, 2023
Michael Skubala has a new concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Manchester United on Sunday, the Leeds United caretaker manager will be bereft of the services of up to nine first-team players.
Stuart Dallas (hamstring), Sonny Perkins (ankle), Adam Forshaw (match fitness), Archie Gray (ankle), and Rodrigo Moreno (ankle) remain on the sidelines. In addition, Pascal Struijk will likely miss out due to a concussion he sustained earlier this week against Manchester United.
Skubala is also sweating over the fitness of Liam Cooper (knock), Marc Roca (knee), and Luis Sinisterra (thigh). But the three players might not be fit enough to start for Leeds United against Manchester United on Sunday.
So Crysencio Summerville should return to the starting eleven, taking his spot on the right flank. Brenden Aaronson will pull the strings from a free position in the final third. Meanwhile, the in-form Wilfried Gnonto and Patrick Bamford will complete the offensive unit for the hosts.
Roca’s potential absence means Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie should form the double pivot in the middle of the park. The duo will aim to keep things tight and restrict the output of Bruno Fernandes and keep the Manchester United skipper in check.
Luke Ayling will don the armband in Cooper’s absence, with Junior Firpo coming in on the right flank. Robin Koch and Maximilian Wober should form the central defensive partnership. And finally, Illan Meslier picks himself between the sticks for Leeds.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Wober, Firpo; Adams, McKennie; Summerville, Aaronson, Gnonto; Bamford
Manchester United
Like his counterpart in the Leeds United dugout, Erik ten Hag has a few pressing issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Elland Road. The Manchester United manager will be without the services of seven first-team players on Sunday.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka faces a race against time to be fit enough to feature as he recovers from an illness. Donny van de Beek (knee), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Scott McTominay (knock), Anthony Martial (hip) and Antony (leg) are on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Casemiro will serve the second of his three-match ban on Sunday.
🗒️ The boss has delivered the latest on our squad ahead of #LEEMUN. #MUFC || #PL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 10, 2023
David de Gea picks himself between the sticks for Manchester United, who should line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. And the backline will likely remain unchanged. So Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw will continue as the full-backs, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez forming the central defensive partnership.
Marcel Sabitzer might not have proven his credentials earlier this week. But the Austrian midfielder will be better positioned to take the game to Leeds United. Sabitzer will likely join Fred in the double pivot in the middle of the park.
Bruno Fernandes will pull the strings for Manchester United in the final third. But he will also put in the hard yards when the hosts attempt to take the game to the Red Devils. Jadon Sancho should come into the starting eleven after scoring the equaliser on Wednesday. The Englishman will join Marcus Rashford and Wout Weghorst in the offensive unit on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Sabitzer, Fred; Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Weghorst
Key Stats
- Leeds United lost this fixture 4-2 last season but have not faced defeat in consecutive home league games against Manchester United since October 1976.
- Leeds United have won just one of their last eight Premier League home games (D4 L3), beating Bournemouth 4-3 in November. Their last two at Elland Road have both finished level (2-2 vs West Ham United, 0-0 vs Brentford).
- Manchester United have lost six of their last 11 Premier League games on a Sunday (W4 D1), including four of nine this season. Only in 2013/14 (5) and 2018/19 (6) have the Red Devils lost more Sunday games in a single campaign in the competition.
- Manchester United have opened the scoring in their last four Premier League away games but have failed to win the last two (1-1 vs Crystal Palace, 2-3 vs Arsenal). Just twice before have the Red Devils been winless in three consecutive Premier League away games, having opened the scoring (D3 in March 1994, D3 in August 2019).
- Marcus Rashford has scored two goals in his last three Premier League away games, having netted just once in his previous 18 on the road.
Player to Watch
Jadon Sancho
Sancho joined Manchester United amid a lot of hype and fanfare surrounding him. The Red Devils had seemingly found the player to galvanise the first-team squad. And the English international was supposed to boost Manchester United’s creative and goalscoring prospects. But that has not been the case, with the player also losing his confidence in the first half of the 2022/23 season.
The 22-year-old subsequently spent time away from the first-team training before finally returning to action a few days ago. And Sancho capped off his comeback earlier this week by scoring the equaliser against Leeds United. That strike should provide a confidence boost to the Englishman. And he will be eager to make his mark again this weekend.
Prediction
Leeds United 1-3 Manchester United
Leeds United and Manchester United often come together to produce games that are laden with goals. That was the case earlier this week at Old Trafford. And the two teams will likely produce a repeat act at Elland Road on Sunday.
But this time, Manchester United will likely run riot in the early exchanges and open the scoring through Marcus Rashford. Jadon Sancho should also rise to the occasion, with Wout Weghorst scoring another goal. But Leeds United will not go down without a fight and might find the back of the net once. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Erik ten Hag and his charges.
