22 December,2020 01:42 PM IST | London | AP
Man United`s Victor Lindelof celebrates a goal against Leeds United on Sunday. Pic/AFP
Manchester United blitzed Leeds 6-2 to climb to third in the English Premier League on Sunday. The first league battle in 16 years between bitter rivals United and Leeds was keenly anticipated but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men proved far too strong. United now have 26 points - five behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. They are a point adrift of second-placed Leicester.
Scott McTominay scored the earliest double in EPL history, putting his side 2-0 up inside three minutes. The visitors were 4-0 down in the 37th minute, with further goals from Bruno Fernandes and Victor Lindelof. Liam Cooper pulled one back for Leeds but United were back on the rampage after the break. Daniel James made it 5-1 and Fernandes scored his second from the penalty spot before Stuart Dallas reduced the deficit.
"Just imagine if there were 75,000 people in, it would have gone down in history as one of the great performances against Leeds," Solskjaer said. "We had to earn the right by running as much as them, that's a challenge. It could have been 12-4 - It's that kind of game." But the Norwegian refused to get carried away. "We are not even at the halfway point," he added. "The league position is not something we look at. We look at the improvement of the team. Our fans needed that one," he said.
