Noah Okafor struck twice as Manchester United's rustiness and Kobbie Mainoo's absence were exposed against Leeds United. Leny Yoro, however, shone amidst the chaos.
Michael Carrick selected Benjamin Šeško and Manuel Ugarte in his starting XI as Manchester United faced Leeds United in a tough Premier League test on Monday evening.
The tie started fast, with Senne Lammens denying Leeds in the opening moments, although the visitors were ahead by the fifth minute through Noah Okafor. United contineud to look a little off it, and Okafor's sweet strike made it 2-0 to Leeds.
With the second half underway, life went from bad to worse for the Reds, as Lisandro Martínez was sent off for allegedly pulling the hair of Dominic Calvert-Lewin with 35 minutes to play.
Casemiro was able to grab a goal back, heading in a brilliant Bruno Fernandes cross with 20 minutes to play, but couldn't find a second before the full-time whistle, handing Leeds their first win at Old Trafford since 1981.
#1 – Rusty. VERY rusty.
With United playing their first game in 24 days, there were worries before kick-off that the side could be rusty due to a lack of competitive action for over three weeks, and it was easy to see just moments into the game.
United looked off it in defence, midfield, and attack, often failing to make a proper clearance, timing tackles badly, or being off with a final pass, which led to Leeds' first two goals and a lack of it at the other end in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, United looked more at it, with the adrenaline and fight to their name, but ultimately, the sending off gave Leeds far too much of an advantage and a deserved win.
#2 – Missing Mainoo
The major surprise was seeing Ugarte starting in place of Kobbie Mainoo, who had suffered a minor injury in training, and the clear difference in poise and composure had an immediate impact.
Mainoo has a brilliant sense of space in midfield and can always calm games down, whereas Ugarte was often targeted by Leeds' midfield, contributing to United's disjointed look on multiple occasions.
Interestingly, after Martínez's sending-off, Ugarte found himself at centre-back and was very good.
#3 – Yoro deserves credit
As much as United's defence were opened up far too easily, Leny Yoro deserves individual credit for his work at centre-back.
The young Frenchman had endless long balls, crosses, and shots to deal with, but kept his composure well and fought for every single second of the 90 minutes.
With Martínez suspended, he's sure to keep his place in defence for the upcoming game against Chelsea.
#4 – Deserve credit for fighting back
United's first 50-ish minutes were poor, and the side deserves to be criticised for that. They were sloppy, poor, and too slow to the races.
However, the signs United showed after going a man down were still positive. It's always easier to chase a game, but the way United did so was one that showed heart and courage, which is something to work on.
Ultimately, United cost themselves the match, and to lose to Leeds at Old Trafford is an embarrassment, but it's far from a damning sign of long-term issues.
#5 – Still plenty of time to grab Champions League spots
Despite the loss, United remain third in the league table on 55 points, although they are now level with Aston Villa and only keep their spot due to a superior goal difference.
United will next face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, and a win against the Blues would be a huge boost to their Champions League hopes.