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Man Utd v Leeds United: Key stats and talking points

by Luna
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After a three-week break, Manchester United will be looking to take another big step towards Champions League qualification when they host their rivals Leeds United on Monday in the Premier League (20:00 BST).

United have been left to stew on a controversial draw at Bournemouth, but slip-ups from their top-five rivals mean they remain in a strong position in third.

Leeds will be buoyed by their progress into the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, but they will return to the cold reality of a relegation battle for their next couple of fixtures.

Fernandes' favourite opponents in town

A win on Monday could go a long way towards sealing a Champions League place for United. Manager Michael Carrick will be relieved to see the team back at Old Trafford too.

The Red Devils have taken just one point from their previous two away games, while Carrick has won all five of the home games he has been in charge of this season.

Despite those setbacks, United remain one of the best teams in the division on current form. Their haul of 29 points since Christmas Day can only be bettered by Arsenal's 31, and it is just one loss in 14 for the Red Devils in that time.

Bruno Fernandes has been key to the team's sparkling form and, worryingly for Leeds, they are one of the Portuguese midfielder's favourite opponents with six goals in six Premier League games.

A table showing the teams Bruno Fernandes has scored the most goals against in the Premier League
[BBC]

Leeds lacking a spark

Daniel Farke faces a fine balancing act in the coming weeks, as excitement over a trip to Wembley and the focus on a relegation fight need to be juggled.

The big issue for Leeds in recent weeks has been goalscoring. They haven't netted in any of their past four Premier League games – the longest ongoing run in the competition this season. They have not scored with any of their past 64 shots.

Earlier in the campaign, Dominic Calvert-Lewin's clinical finishing was keeping the team clear of the bottom three. But since the goals have dried up for the England international – he has two in his past 12 Premier League games – Leeds have slowly slipped back towards the trapdoor.

What could eventually prove key is the team's robustness on the road. They have drawn seven of their past eight away games in the Premier League, meaning they have been able to pick up valuable points consistently.

That solidity appears to be founded on a shift to a more direct style of play in recent weeks. Since December, Leeds have comfortably contested more aerial duels than any other team.

A table showing aerial duels contested in the Premier League since December
[BBC]

Their record at Old Trafford leaves a lot to be desired, though. United are unbeaten in their past 18 home league games against Leeds – they have won 11 and drawn seven – and have only lost one of the past 20 against their Yorkshire rivals in the top-flight, either home or away.

Crucially for Leeds, this fixture is their toughest before the end of the season on paper. They face the four teams occupying the bottom four spots – Wolves, Burnley, West Ham and Tottenham – in their final six matches; the current highest-ranked team they will come up against is Brighton, who started the weekend in 10th.

Original Article

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