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Topics: Michael Owen, Manchester United, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane, Erik Ten Hag, Leeds United
Chris Byfield
Topics: Michael Owen, Manchester United, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane, Erik Ten Hag, Leeds United
Michael Owen claimed two Manchester United players were guilty of “criminal” defending in the club’s 2-2 draw with managerless Leeds.
On Wednesday Jadon Sancho scored on his Premier League return as United came back from behind to claim a vital point at Old Trafford.
Leeds, who sacked manager Jesse Marsch on Monday, found themselves 2-0 up against their bitter rivals through Wilfried Gnonto’s low-drilled effort and a Raphael Varane own goal.
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But Rashford scored his 20th goal of the season to pull one back for United, before Sancho scored the equaliser, having been out of first-team action for four months.
The draw saw United miss out on the chance to go level on points with second-placed Manchester City, while Leeds moved a point clear of the relegation zone.
Former United striker was scathing of both Rashford and Varane after the pair turned their backs away from a Brenden Aaronson free kick, and in doing so split the United wall.
Leeds will feel they could have left Old Trafford with all three points after Aaronson went close to putting Leeds 3-1 with a free-kick that hit the post.
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On the state of United’s wall, Owen told Premier League live: “I couldn’t believe it, I couldn’t believe this wall.
“Look at this the way they split – Varane and Rashford they just split – the ball goes low, right through the middle, it didn’t go over the wall at all.
“If that goes in, and they both turn away, that’s criminal, that’s criminal. I mean, if that goes in there are serious, serious words being had after.
“You simply cannot do that. You need to be big, brave and bold in a wall and to turn your back and split – everything you cannot do they did there.
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“They’ve got away with it. They better look at that and think, ‘wow, that’s pretty embarrassing, we can’t do that again’.”