Manchester United play themselves back into title race after important Leeds United victory

Second chances are rare in sport, but Manchester United were given one on Sunday (February 12) when they faced Leeds United for the second time in four days.

The first encounter turned out to be disappointing for Erik ten Hag and his charges, who needed a late rally to salvage a 2-2 draw against the Peacocks. If anything, the Red Devils were lucky to have gotten a point from that game, especially as they trailed by two goals at the hour mark before engineering a late comeback.

In the reverse fixture at Elland Road, the script nearly turned out in a similar manner till Manchester United switched on in the final ten minutes to seal all three points.

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Red Devils make amends for previous draw

Ten Hag said that he couldn’t wait to face Leeds again after watching his side labour to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in midweek.

However, the manner in which the visitors started at Elland Road didn’t portray a side that had learned its lessons. Manchester United were poor in possession and struggled to put passes together.

The good thing, though, is that they made amends, albeit late in the game, as quickfire goals from Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho gave them a precious 2-0 win.

Nothing but victory against Leeds would’ve been acceptable. Even though Ten Hag’s side were underwhelming for large spells, it's refreshing to see that they can grind out results under such trying circumstances.

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Manchester United back in Premier League title race

Leeds United vs Manchester United - Premier League

Gary Neville was quite dismissive of Manchester United’s title ambitions even after watching them beat Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday.

His explanation was that they were still far behind both Arsenal and Manchester City and wouldn’t get away with such wobbly performances in the future. Neville said, as quoted by Goal:

"I genuinely don’t think they are in the Premier League title race. I was thinking Erik ten Hag has actually prioritised the Barcelona game this week. If he thought he could win the Premier League, he would obviously prioritise that so I think even he’s thinking the title is beyond them. He got away with it today, and it’s worked, but I just don’t think they can win the Premier League. They’ve got so many games, and I just don’t think they’re at the level of Man City and Arsenal right now."

While Neville has a point, the reality is that Manchester United have played themselves back into the title race by beating Leeds.

With the win, they temporarily moved into second place and are just five points behind leaders Arsenal, who have two games in hand. They are also playing very well at the moment, and there’s no reason why they can’t give Arsenal and City a run for their money. With City beating Aston Villa 3-1, the holders (48) moved back into second position, two points above United, who have played a game more.

This season’s Premier League has been a two-horse race for months, but Manchester United have now made themselves a force to be reckoned with. They should be taken seriously because they’ve earned it.