Manchester United thrash Leeds at Old Trafford with 5-1 win

Bruno Fernandes scored a sensational hat-trick as Manchester United defeated Leeds United 5-1 and got the 2021/22 Premier League season off to a magnificent and exciting start.

The hosts had already gone close twice when Fernandes put them ahead on the half-hour mark, running on to Pogba’s through-ball and forcing the ball past Illan Meslier.

Leeds equalised early in the second half through Luke Ayling’s scorching 25-yard strike – his first Premier League goal. But Man Utd responded with three goals in the next 12 minutes.

Pogba freed Mason Greenwood in behind Leeds’ defence to make it 2-1, before setting up Fernandes, whose shot on the turn just crossed the line before being cleared by Ayling.

Fernandes ran on to Victor Lindelof’s fine through-ball to complete his hat-trick, before Pogba registered his fourth assist by escaping down the left and teeing up Fred.

Jadon Sancho came off the bench for his Man Utd debut on a day when new signing Raphael Varane was paraded him in front of the returning home fans.

Pogba joins an elite list of just seven players to register four assists in a single Premier League game. He also became the first Manchester United player to do this since the division started in 1992 and already has more assists at this stage than he did in the whole of the last league campaign.

Match Stats

What Next ?

• Manchester United will travel to Southampton on August 22.
• Leeds United will host Everton on August 21.

Post-Match Reactions :

Luke Ayling :

 “We got back into it and scored a goal, then I think we were 3-1 down before we even got our breath back. It all happened a bit quick, we will go back and see what happened and try to get it right for the next game. “We said at half-time to keep it tight, try get forward and create our own chances.

Some people might say we scored too early second half, but really, just a poor few minutes cost us the game. Against a good team like that, once spaces are there for them to go into it, they have quick players and it is always going to be difficult.”

“I know it’s a bad result for us but it’s great to see the fans back. We can’t wait to get back to our place next weekend.  “We’ve been beaten here last year, it’s nothing new to us, we came back from that and did alright until the end of last season.

We’ll go back, have a look at it, get a few players back in the team and we’ll go again.”

Marcelo Bielsa, Head coach of Leeds:

“It was very difficult for us to recover the ball and it was very difficult for us to create any danger. It was for a number of reasons, none of them the high press or the individual performance of a player.“It was difficult for us to take the ball off them and difficult for us to create.

“The succession of goals after we equalised, we couldn’t react. In general lines, they were superior to us clearly. In the previous game [last season] there were moments with a big difference between the two teams, in this game those moments were less.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United Manager :

“You’ve got to say well done to everyone – from the crowd to the players to the staff this week, the coaches. Everything’s been spot on and to get this result and performance on the first day gives you a massive boost. It’s just the mood. But it’s one game and we should always pat ourselves on the back and taste that sweet victory. Tomorrow, we’re back on track for the next one.”

“I’ve had a great relationship with Paul ever since he was a kid. Today was just about ‘go out there and enjoy yourself’ because he had 45 minutes against Everton, which wasn’t his best. We gave him the freedom of roaming wherever you want to go and get on the ball. I can’t remember the last time that happened [getting four assists in a single game] but Paul’s got that quality and, when you’ve got runners willing to make runs and create space for others, it opens up.”