Rashford, Sancho answer taunts with goals to earn Man U point

February 09, 2023

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Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho celebrates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match against Leeds United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, yesterday. The match drew 2-2.

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

In the face of cruel taunts from Leeds fans, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho responded in style.

Both players scored in a rousing second-half comeback as Manchester United rallied yesterday to salvage a 2-2 draw in the English Premier League.

"You let your country down," fans chanted in the away section at Old Trafford, bringing back painful memories of the United forwards' penalty misses in England's Euro 2020 final shootout defeat to Italy.

But by the end of the game, Rashford had scored his 20th goal of the season in all competitions to start United's comeback and Sancho had equalised to mark his return to Manchester United.

Sancho's contribution was significant after he was given time off earlier this season in a bid to reignite his career.

"I am really happy he is in the right direction, I hope he can keep his momentum going and I am sure it will strengthen him and motivate him even more," United manager Erik ten Hag said. "He is a brilliant footballer, and if he can invest in the right levels, he can be outstanding."

Both Rashford and Sancho have taken time to get back on track after the disappointment of the Euros, which saw them subjected to racist abuse, along with Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, who also missed a penalty.

Rashford, however, is producing possibly the finest form of his career this season, while Saka is a vital part of Arsenal's title challenge.

It has not been the same story for Sancho, who has struggled for consistency since joining United from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.

He lost his England place and missed out on last year's World Cup, and as his United form continued to suffer, he was given a break by Ten Hag before going on as a substitute against Nottingham Forest last week to make his first appearance since October.

With United facing a shock loss to relegation-fighting Leeds after going 2-0 down early in the second half, Sancho was given his chance to make an impact and didn't disappoint with a clinical finish to salvage a draw.

"I wanted a different dynamic. In that moment, we weren't in the game. Luckily it succeeded because we scored two goals," Ten Hag said. "He's all the way back. We know he's a magnificent player. I think consistently he can have a big impact."