Manchester United and Leeds United share an intense rivalry, with the Yorkshire club's Premier League return helping to rekindle old passions.
Leeds were a force to be reckoned with in English football from the 1960s into the 1970s and frequently found themselves entangled with Manchester United in the race for glory. That competitive spirit endured in the 1990s and into the early 2000s before the Whites' relegation from the Premier League in 2003-04.
It has been a long road back to the top table for Leeds and they now have regular meetings with the Red Devils again, but when was the last time they defeated their long-standing foes? GOAL has the details.
When did Leeds last beat Manchester United?
Leeds' last win against Manchester United came on January 3, 2010, with the Yorkshire club emerging with a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup.
A Jermaine Beckford goal was the difference between the two sides and the win was all the more remarkable considering that Leeds were plying their trade in League One - two divisions below the Red Devils - at the time. Indeed, a total of 42 league spots separated the teams.
While Manchester United rotated their squad somewhat, the team sent out to play Leeds that day was still a formidable one, with the likes of Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney in the starting XI.
Beckford scored on the 19th minute when he raced onto Jonny Howson's long ball over the top, leaving Brown trailing in his wake before slotting past Tomasz Kuszczak.
After the game, then Leeds boss Simon Grayson told BBC Radio Leeds: "We knew we could hurt them today and this signalled how well we've been playing all season.
"This win is for the fans, who have stuck by us in every game. Once again, they were great and they deserve this."
The defeat was the first time Sir Alex Ferguson had lost in the third round of the FA Cup and it was also the first time during his tenure that the club was knocked out of the competition by a lower league team.
While he was angry about the result, Ferguson gave Leeds their dues, noting that they had "fought like tigers".
"Leeds had a far better appetite for the game than us," Ferguson conceded. "You need luck and they got it but they deserved it because they played really well."
Man Utd 0-1 Leeds United (FA Cup Jan 3, 2010)
Manchester United | Leeds United |
---|---|
Kuszczak | Ankergren |
Neville | Crowe |
Brown | Kisnorbo |
Fabio | Naylor |
Evans | Doyle |
Anderson (Owen, 69) | Kilkenny |
Gibson | Howson (Snodgrass, 77) |
Berbatov | Johnson |
Rooney | Hughes (White, 90+2) |
Obertan (Giggs, 57) | Beckford (⚽️ 19) |
Welbeck (Valencia, 57) | Becchio (Michalik, 88) |
What is Leeds United's record vs Manchester United?
Competition | Leeds wins | Manchester United wins | Draws |
---|---|---|---|
Premier League (inc. First Division) | 22 | 37 | 31 |
Second Division | 1 | 3 | 2 |
FA Cup | 3 | 4 | 3 |
League Cup | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Total | 26 | 49 | 36 |
Table data correct as of February 21, 2022
Manchester United have the upper hand over Leeds when it comes to their overall head-to-head record, with 49 wins across 111 meetings. Leeds have won 26 games against the Red Devils and they have played out draws on 36 occasions.
The bulk of Leeds' success against Manchester United came prior to the Premier League era, with the Old Trafford outfit dominating the post-1992 landscape in England. Since the 1992-93 season, Leeds have beaten their Manchester rivals just four times in the Premier League, drawing eight and losing 16.
Leeds United vs Manchester United recent results
Date | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|
Feb 20, 2022 | Leeds 2-4 Man Utd | Premier League |
Aug 14, 2021 | Man Utd 5-1 Leeds | Premier League |
Apr 25, 2021 | Leeds 0-0 Man Utd | Premier League |
Dec 20, 2020 | Man Utd 6-2 Leeds | Premier League |
Sep 11, 2011 | Leeds 0-3 Man Utd | League Cup |
Jan 3, 2010 | Man Utd 0-1 Leeds | FA Cup |
Manchester United have had the measure of Leeds in recent seasons and have yet to lose to the Whites since their long-awaited return to the Premier League in 2020-21.
In three Premier League meetings since then, the Red Devils have scored 11 goals, conceding three.
Leeds fans have to go back over a decade for their last win over their rivals, but will remain hopeful that Marcelo Bielsa can mastermind a triumph.