Leeds 0 Man Utd 0: Drab United fail to close gap on Premier League leaders City after Elland Road stalemate

HONOURS EVEN, but the moral high ground to Leeds.

As it will be for every opponent of England's dirty half-dozen.

Goodness me how long have they waited here at Elland Road to look down their noses at their hated neighbours from down the M62.

Last week provided that opportunity and how they have taken it.

It’s really Joel Glazer not Manchester United.

But his actions like the owners of the rest who tried to breakaway into a European Super League has put a target on the back of everyone connected with their clubs.

So if ever Leeds needed an extra incentive to win this game they had it as they did in denying Liverpool two points here on Monday when Jurgen Klopps's side arrived to a fans protest.

This time it was just banners reminding Manchester United's co-chairman Joel Glazer of his distasteful actions.

Inside the ground things will have remained uncomfortable for those representing the club in the boardroom with the programme providing a slating from Leeds Chief Executive Angus Kinnear.

Manager Marcus Bielsa also had a god in his programme notes referring to #decisions that attacks all the people that are fans of football.

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On the pitch Leeds worked as hard as ever for this point.

The visitors were certainly the more dominant side but could not get that breakthrough.

This was another example of the need for a real number nine this summer if they want to take the next step.

Marcus Rashford had the best two chances of the opening half.

The first came after just seven minutes when he was found by a pin point long ball from deep by Victor Linelof.

Rashford’s first touch was good to get the ball under his control, his second not so good as he scuffed a shot wide of the post.

While he did not make goalkeeper Illan Meslier work on that occasion he most certainly did on the stroke of half-time.

A foul by Pascal Struijk on Daniel James gave the men in red a free-kick 30 yards out.

Bruno Fernandes had skied the last one into the stand behind the goal, so Rashford took responsibility this time.

The connection was sweet, the ball flew at a rate of knots towards the Leeds goal and Meslier acrobatically took to the air to palm it away one handed.

At the other end Dean Henderson had little to do, a Stuart Dallas shot from the edge area went straight at him.

But Leeds did have a very good shout for a penalty on 19 minutes.

When a cross came in from Jack Harrison on the left, Luke Shaw tried to intervene with his chest, but it hit his lower arm.

His hands were down and he appeared to be doing everything not to commit an offence so that appears to have saved him when the decision went to VAR Mike Dean.

While the goalmouth action was limited it was actually still a good game.

United have been criticised for their slow starts but there was no evidence of it here.

Perhaps because they had their first midweek without a game since August 2019 provided the extra freshness in their legs.

Those legs will have been covered in plenty of bruises though as Leeds committed 19 fouls.

The worst of them came on 37 minutes when Luke Ayling took out Rashford wide on the left as he latched onto a long ball from Maguire.

Rashford had only just made this game after failing to train all week because of a foot injury.

Nothing seems to stop him though.

You wonder one day if he’ll be running onto a through ball and bits will just start falling off him, he puts his body through so much.

He still carries a shoulder problem into every game which will need an operation after the Euros.

He was still charging at the Leeds defence as Manchester United dominated the second-half too and chances came for the visitors but went.

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Minutes after the restart Greenwood put a ball through that had Daniel James and Fernandes clear but they left it for each other and Ayling cleaned up.

When Fred put Greenwood through on an angle his finish lacked power and it was an easy save for Meslier.

Rashford pulled out wide and put in a perfect ball for James who needed to hit it first time. Instead he wanted to take a touch got his legs tangled up and the chance was gone.

Then Leeds had a chance when Helder Costa’s shot deflected off Aaron Wan-Bissaka looped over Dean Henderson and on to the roof of the net.

As the game started to swing too and fro Marco Bielsa’s excitement levels were increasing in the technical area.

There were frustrations on the pitch too with Harry Maguire blasting Fred shouting ‘f***ing idiot’ at him during a loud exchange during one break in play.

Ole Solskjaer’s men definitely looked the more downcast at full-time.

The Leeds contingent in the directors box made a big show of standing up to applaud their team off.

You sense they were making a point.

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