Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United thrash Leeds United 4-2 thanks to super subs Fred and Anthony Elanga

The result moved fourth-placed Manchester United onto 46 points, four behind Chelsea in third, while Leeds United stay 15th, five points above the relegation zone.

Second-half goals from substitutes Fred and Anthony Elanga earned Manchester United a 4-2 victory over Leeds United in a thriller at Elland Road in the Premier League on Sunday (February 20). In a red-hot atmosphere, the visitors took the lead in the 34th minute, with captain Harry Maguire heading home to score his side’s first league goal from a corner all season.

As the rain became more torrential, United compounded the home side’s woes when Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture earlier this season, squeezed another header into the net in first-half stoppage time. But keeping hold of half-time leads has been one of United`s problem of late, having failed to win when leading at the break in three of their previous four matches in all competitions.

And so it proved again as Leeds turned the match on its head with two goals in less than a minute early in the second half. First Spanish forward Rodrigo’s cross looped over United stopper David de Gea and into the net, and then Dan James squared for Leeds substitute Raphinha to level, lifting the roof off the stadium.

The visitors rode the storm, however, and eventually got their reward as Fred put his side in front 20 minutes from time before Elanga settled the contest with a late fourth. The result moved fourth-placed United onto 46 points, four behind Chelsea in third, while Leeds stay 15th, five points above the relegation zone.

“We had to fight back and stick together, we knew it was a tough place to come but we knew we had qualities and could hurt them,” Maguire told Sky Sports. “We said at half time we needed to score more in the second half and we managed to do that.”