Manchester United vs Leeds United

Manchester United will be looking to improve on a runner-up finish in 2020/21 as they welcome Leeds United to Old Trafford in their 2021/22 Premier League opener.

For the first time since 1970/71, Man United and Leeds will lock horns in the Premier League curtain-raiser, with their last such encounter yielding the Yorkshire side’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford. Against this backdrop, the ‘Red Devils’ are undefeated in home league H2Hs for four decades (W10, D6), acing this fixture 6-2 back in 2020/21. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has received explicit instructions to land the first Premier League trophy in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and prevent Man United from matching the club’s longest title drought. After suffering a 3-1 home loss to Crystal Palace in last season’s Premier League opener, the three-time European Cup winners stare at the prospect of losing back-to-back opening top-flight matches for the first time since 1972/73 and 1973/74. With 66 goals scored/conceded, United’s home Premier League games last season were more prolific than any other side.

On the other hand, Leeds claimed a heartwarming ninth-place finish in 2020/21, their first top-flight season since 2003/04. Since succumbing to a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool in their opening Premier League road trip last season, the ‘Whites’ went on to draw none of their away league matches in the entire 2020/21 campaign (W10, L9). Curiously, Marcelo Bielsa’s side averaged more Premier League goals scored on the road (1.79) than on home ground (1.47) last season, with only three teams bagging more away league goals than Leeds (34) during 2020/21. However, their all-out-attack approach contributed to a league fourth-high 33 away goals conceded last term, with Leeds letting in more first-half goals on the road (21) than any other side.