Fred and Anthony Elanga steer Manchester United to win over Leeds

The good, the bad, the ugly and the frankly confusing combined as Manchester United took a significant step towards Europe and Leeds moved too close to the Championship for comfort.

If the latest renewal of one of English football’s greatest rivalries was undeniably exhilarating, depressingly unpleasant undertones resurfaced as missiles were hurled from the crowd with one hitting a mercifully unhurt Manchester United substitute Anthony Elanga in the second half.

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While Leeds, albeit briefly, displayed a wonderful defiance to, at one point draw level after falling two goals behind, Jadon Sancho enjoyed arguably his best game for Ralf Rangnick’s side as questions concerning Marcelo Bielsa’s future at Leeds re-surfaced.

Manchester United’s first visit to a full Elland Road since 2003 coincided with a day of torrential rain and capriciously gusty winds in West Yorkshire. If the tricky conditions, not least a sodden, pitch, were hostile, so, too was the atmosphere.

To say there is a certain antipathy between these two sets of fans would be putting it mildly and a competing soundtrack featuring the Leeds anthem, “Marching on Together” and “Pride of all Europe” from the visitors, only served to heighten the frenetic on-field intensity.

With Bielsa’s side struggling to retain possession on the heavy surface, Rangnick’s players exerted the greater control and cohesion. They came close to opening the scoring when the initially influential Paul Pogba – nutmegged a startled Diego Llorente before crossing in Cristiano Ronaldo’s direction. It took an intervention from Illan Meslier’s knee to divert the resultant close range shot.

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