'We should have won!' - Daniel Farke takes it as a 'compliment' Leeds were favourites against Man Utd but left frustrated after dominant Whites dropped points

Farke expressed a mixture of pride and frustration after Leeds United played out a hard-fought draw against Manchester United. The Whites manager felt his team did enough to secure all three points in a game where they were widely expected to overcome their historic rivals.

'We are slightly disappointed it is just a point,' Farke admitted to Sky Sports during his post-match assessment. 'Overall, I felt it was not necessary to be losing at half time but it is still Manchester United. Second half, we got the equaliser, we should have kept up the dominance, too many strikes went over the crossbar but it was overall a solid performance. We should have won the game but we move on. We were the dominant side but we couldn't capitalise as we lacked quality in and around the box.'

The result leaves Leeds sitting in seventh place in the Premier League table, three points clear of the visitors. The Whites have maintained an impressive record at Elland Road, remaining unbeaten on home soil in all competitions since March.

Farke was quick to point out that the pre-match narratives surrounding the game served as a testament to the work his squad has put in over the opening months of the season. Being viewed as the superior side going into a clash with the Red Devils is a rare position for Leeds, and it is one that the former Norwich City boss embraces as a sign of progress.

'We took it as a compliment that we have done many things right over the last month if we were seen as favourites against Manchester United but we have earned this,' Farke explained. 'We wanted to prove the comments right. It says a lot about how much respect we have earned. Overall, this is where we are at the moment and overall, it is a good place to be. It is still difficult in this league to win points. You have to be clinical and be very, very effective but we have to keep going.'

The match itself lived up to the billing of a traditional Roses rivalry, featuring a raucous atmosphere and a series of heavy challenges. The early stages were defined by physical play rather than technical brilliance, with Bruno Fernandes and Gabriel Gudmundsson both receiving yellow cards in a frantic opening.

The contest truly erupted before the half-hour mark with rapid chances at both ends; after a full-stretch save by Senne Lammens denied Nico Elvedi, an unmarked Bryan Mbeumo spurned a gilt-edged opportunity by heading wide. However, Mbeumo redeemed himself ten minutes before the break, outbattling James Justin to latch onto Youri Tielemans' exquisite pass into the box and send the visitors into half-time with the lead.

Leeds responded well after the break, finding an equaliser through Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The striker pounced on a loose ball following a corner involving Tarik Muharemovic to level the scores and ignite the home supporters.

While Leeds reflect on what might have been, the situation for Manchester United head coach Carrick remains precarious. The draw at Elland Road extended their winless run to six matches across all competitions, a slump the club has not experienced since the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.

Manchester United will now shift their focus to European action as they travel to face Como in the Champions League on Wednesday, before returning to domestic duties to host Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday in the Premier League.