Manchester United 1-2 Leeds United: Okafor double secures first Old Trafford win since 1981

Leeds United took a huge step towards Premier League safety as they defeated 10-man Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford.

Noah Okafor was the star of the show as his first-half brace was enough to secure the crucial three points, moving them six clear of the relegation zone, though the Red Devils threatened a nervy finish after Casemiro’s 69th-minute header.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring after three minutes, but it mattered little as Okafor swept in soon after as he capitalised on a poor headed clearance from Leny Yoro.

Okafor grabbed his second just before the half-hour mark, volleying in from outside the box after the hosts failed to clear their lines, while Ao Tanaka saw an effort cleared off the line by Lisandro Martinez on the stroke of half-time.

However, United’s Argentine defender went from hero to zero in the 56th minute after being shown a straight red card following a VAR review for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair.

Casemiro managed to halve the deficit, getting on the end of a Bruno Fernandes cross, but the Brazilian then saw another header cleared off the line in the 85th minute by Calvert-Lewin, who also blocked the follow-up from Manuel Ugarte.

1981 – Leeds United recorded their first away league win over Manchester United since February 1981 (1-0), ending an 18-game winless run (D7 L11). Marching. pic.twitter.com/QYeWSnPkOX

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 13, 2026

Data Debrief: Leeds end Old Trafford hoodoo

It was a more than deserved win for Leeds, who produced 2.37 expected goals (xG) from 15 shots compared to the hosts’ 1.31 from 20 attempts at Old Trafford.

Leeds enjoyed their first league win over the Red Devils since September 2002 (1-0), while it’s their first away from home since February 1981 (1-0) ending a run of 18 league visits without a win (D7 L11).

Okafor also became the first Leeds player to score more than once against Man United in a Premier League game, though it was Calvert-Lewin who proved to be a constant thorn in the opposition’s side.

The England international recorded the most shots in the match (five), most touches in the box (nine), competed in the most duels (21) and won the third-most aerial battles (four).