Leeds eye fifth as rivals Manchester United visit Elland Road
Leeds United can climb above Liverpool into fifth in the Premier League by beating Manchester United at Elland Road on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 2pm BST on 18 October 2026. The referee is Darren England, and the match is live on Sky Sports Main Event The Guardian.
Leeds start in a 3-4-2-1 formation, three centre-backs supported by wing-backs on each flank. James Trafford is in goal behind James Justin, Nico Elvedi and Tarik Muharemovic. Jayden Bogle, Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka and Gabriel Gudmundsson make up the midfield, with Anton Stach and Noah Okafor behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin The Guardian.
Manchester United reply with a 4-2-3-1, four defenders, two holding midfielders and three attackers behind a lone striker. Senne Lammens starts in goal with Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot in defence. Carlos Santos and Carlos Baleba sit in midfield, with Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans and Amad Diallo supporting Bryan Mbeumo up front The Guardian.
It is a landmark day for Ampadu. He captains Leeds for the 100th time. That is a rare number for a 26-year-old leader, and Elland Road will mark it loudly.
The pressure is heavier at the other end. United travel across the Pennines looking to return to winning ways, with scrutiny building on head coach Michael Carrick ahead of the trip Manchester United. Leeds boss Daniel Farke defended his counterpart in the build-up, saying Carrick has done "an amazing job" The Guardian.
Form favours the hosts. Leeds went into the international break in fifth after a goalless draw with Crystal Palace. The Opta supercomputer gave them a 42 percent chance of victory here, compared with 32 percent for United Al Jazeera.
For fans, this means more than three points. Leeds call it the War of the Roses, a historic rivalry between two cities that never needs extra selling. Carrick described Elland Road as a ground that stirs all the senses.
Expect noise. Expect pace. A win puts Leeds fifth. Anything else keeps this race crowded.
