ByAdwaidh Rajan. BBC Sport journalist. 9 hours ago. 305 Comments. A memorable victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford has handed Leeds United a priceless lifeline in their quest for Premier League survival.. With their 2-1 win on Monday night, they moved to 36 points to open a six-point buffer between them and the relegation zone with six matches left.. Their first league win against Manchester United since 2002 and a first at Old Trafford since 1981 sparked huge celebrations at the final whistle, as manager Daniel Farke and his players soaked up the support from their vocal travelling fans.. “Tired. Relieved. Proud of the boys,” Farke summed up his emotions after the win, which was their first at Old Trafford in 19 visits.. The Leeds manager told Sky Sports: “We are in the crunch time of the season and it’s important to keep your nerves and stick to your plan.. “It’s the first win in Premier League history here for forty years. It’s amazing, and of course a big step forward.”. For a club that have been flirting dangerously with relegation for much of the season, the triumph over Michael Carrick’s side felt like more than three points.. While their top-flight status is far from guaranteed despite the win, what it does is allow Leeds to breathe a little easier while piling the pressure on fellow strugglers Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest.. “It’s a monumental night for Leeds United,” former Manchester United defender Gary Neville told Sky Sports.. “Farke will have been nervous about the fact that Leeds were going perilously close to relegation. This victory goes a long way to securing their Premier League status.”. It was Noah Okafor who stepped up with two first-half goals to secure a much-needed win, as Casemiro’s 69th-minute goal proved mere consolation for Carrick’s side, who played most of the second half with 10 men.. Neville added: “They fully deserved it over the course of the 90 minutes. They were the better team.”. Image source, Getty Images. ‘Easy to make history but points tally all that matters’. Leeds went into the fixture having not scored in any of their past four league games. They had not netted with any of their past 64 shots.. But five minutes was all it took for Switzerland winger Okafor to net the opener with a smart first-time finish – Leeds’ first league goal in 51 days.. He then doubled their lead in the 29th minute when his effort took a deflection off Leny Yoro on its way past Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.. “To every player, every staff member that is with us, it’s a big compliment because we were fighting to the end and we deserved the three points,” Okafor told Sky Sports after helping end his club’s six-game winless league run.. Leeds will hope the victory will be the wind in their sails as they look to add to their points tally when hosting bottom side Wolves on Saturday, 18 April (15:00 BST).. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, their top scorer with 10 goals, said as much after the game.. “It’s imp
