Leeds United and Manchester United made a piece of Premier League history in 1995 as the two sides met on Christmas Eve.
Before the 1995/96 season, no Premier League fixture had ever been played on Christmas Eve, until Manchester United travelled to Elland Road.
A packed-out stadium watched a thrilling fixture in the crisp winter sunshine, as Leeds United took on their arch-rivals.
Premier League fans had to wait another 28 years for a game on Christmas Eve, when Wolves took on Chelsea in 2023.
Tony Yeboah was the hero for Leeds 30 years ago, as he scored the final goal of a famous win for Howard Wilkinson’s side.
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Tony Yeboah is the hero in Christmas Eve win for Leeds United
A raucous Elland Road atmosphere met the two sides for their Premier League first, as Leeds looked to put a further dent in Man Utd’s title hopes.
The 1995/96 season is best remembered for Newcastle’s unprecedented collapse in the title race, with Kevin Keegan delivering his famous ‘I would love it’ rant at Elland Road as the Red Devils breathed down their necks later on in the season.
However, the title appeared destined to head to the North East after the Whites’ win maintained the 10-point gap between Newcastle and Manchester United.
Gary McAllister opened the scoring from the penalty spot, firing past Peter Schmeichel after Nicky Butt had handballed in the penalty area. However, the visitors were soon level through Andy Cole, after Leeds gave the ball away in their own penalty area.
But Leeds had one of the in-form strikers in the country at the time in Tony Yeboah, and when Paul Parker slipped on the ball, the Ghanaian was through on goal.
Who remembers this classic festive performance from Leeds United? 🎅🎄
Manchester United had no answer for Tony Yeboah
Yeboah turned Denis Irwin inside out before finishing right-footed to give Leeds the lead again before half-time.
Brian Deane sealed the three points for Leeds with a second-half header in front of the Kop. The win moved Leeds up to ninth in the table at the time and appeared as though it had dealt a fatal blow to Man Utd’s title hopes.
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Howard Wilkinson promised to keep Leeds United grounded after statement win
Leeds’ win over Man Utd was their biggest in 14 years and provided the perfect response after the Whites had suffered a heavy defeat against Sheffield Wednesday the previous week.
However, Leeds lost Yeboah to suspension after a yellow card, which threatened to cast a shadow over the festive period.
Speaking to the Telegraph and Argus after the game, Wilkinson promised to keep his side grounded, stating: “After last week, we needed a result and we needed a performance, and we got both.”
Wilkinson added: “Our aim now is to get our feet back on the ground as soon as possible and maintain that level of performance from here on in.”
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