Tielemans calls for togetherness amid Man Utd's recent slump

Youri Tielemans stressed the importance of the Manchester United squad sticking together after their midweek defeat in the Champions League to Atletico Madrid. 

The Red Devils' campaign hit a new low at the Metropolitano on Tuesday as they were beaten 2-0 by Atletico, with Leny Yoro's red card further compounding their misery. 

Pablo Barrios opened the scoring with just 47 seconds on the clock, with Ademola Lookman capitalising on Yoro's dismissal in the 79th minute to seal a comfortable triumph. 

United have now lost three of their last five games in all competitions (D2), as many as in their previous 21 games under Michael Carrick (W14 D4), piling the pressure on him. 

Their five-game winless run is their longest stretch since a six-game streak in January 2025 (D2 L4), with a testing trip to Leeds United in the Premier League up next. 

Tielemans made the move to Old Trafford this summer from Aston Villa, and while he is still getting used to his surroundings, he said his new team-mates must continue to trust each other if they are to turn their fortunes around. 

"We did well in spells and our character and energy was very good," Tielemans said. "It is very hard to say after a defeat that there are positives.

"We just have to work hard, to keep working and keep trusting in our structure. We have to keep working, keep trusting each other and be together on this.

"[It is a] tough one. When you concede after a minute it is hard to get into the game straight away.

"We had more compactness at times. At times we were found out as they had the quality and were going to play through us."

Leeds, meanwhile, saw their unbeaten league run come to an end at the hands of Arsenal, with Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimaraes completing the comeback in a 2-1 win. 

The result saw Leeds lose a Premier League game in which they opened the scoring in the second half for the first time since October 1992 (1-2 vs QPR).

But Daniel Farke's side remain in the mix at the right end of the table, with Leeds seventh on nine points and just a point behind the top four in the early-season standings. 

Farke was not surprised by what his players produced against the champions because of their consistency in recent months and had no complaints with the performance.

"[The result] has to do with the quality of players they could bring in," Farke said. "Once you're in the lead and push for the second, sometimes as a team not used to winning titles you can be a bit over-excited in possession.

"We could have been tidier and not given the ball away so easily. Sometimes it's [down to] a little bit of luck, there was not a big mistake, just a few details not spot on for the goal.

"They're able to bring quality players in to be so clinical in a difficult game for them. We're not in a position to speak about fighting for the Champions League or the title like Arsenal. I can't ask them for much more. No complaints."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Leeds United – Noah Okafor

Okafor scored both of Leeds' goals in their 2-1 win over United in April – the last Whites player to score in consecutive league appearances against the Red Devils was Mark Viduka between March 2001 and March 2002 (three in a row).

Viduka is also the only Leeds player with more than two Premier League goals against the Red Devils, netting four.

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes 

Fernandes has gone four Premier League games without scoring or assisting, his longest run since going seven in April and May 2025.

He has, however, been involved in nine goals in seven Premier League appearances against Leeds (two goals, three assists), the most by a United player against the Whites.

MATCH PREDICTION: LEEDS UNITED WIN

Leeds ended a run of 10 winless Premier League games against United with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in April. The Whites haven't secured consecutive league wins over their rivals since winning both games in the 1971-72 campaign.

Farke's side are also unbeaten in their last seven Premier League home games (W4 D3), last having a longer unbeaten run at Elland Road between January and December 2001 (15 games).

Leeds go into the game ahead of United in the Premier League table for the first time in this fixture since September 2002 (excluding MD1), when they won 1-0 at Elland Road. A win for the Whites will put them six points clear of their rivals in the table as late as the seventh game of a season for just the second time. 

United and Carrick, meanwhile, are desperate for a win. They have just six points in six Premier League games in 2026-27 (W1 D3 L2), their lowest after six league games since 1986-87 under Ron Atkinson (four). 

For a second consecutive season, the Red Devils have no clean sheets in their first six games, the first time they’ve done so in back-to-back campaigns since 1930-31 and 1931-32.

The Red Devils are, however, unbeaten in their last seven away games against Leeds (W5 D2) since losing 1-0 in the Premier League in September 2002.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Leeds United – 41.8%

Draw – 26.6%

Manchester United – 31.6%