Jadon Sancho has finally hit top form for Man Utd to become an essential part of the Ralf Rangnick revolution

With this Manchester United incumbent you have no idea what you are going to get from one week to the next.

One constant has been the inexcusable contrast between first-half performances and second-half capitulations, as was again the case at Elland Road, regardless of the calibre of the opposition or position of superiority they had assumed.

Something that Ralf Rangnick has increasingly been able to rely upon amid the chaos elsewhere in his side has been the performances of Jadon Sancho, with the England forward finally adding assists to his Premier League repertoire to help decide another pulsating mini War of the Rose battle.

He may have started life in Manchester struggling to even get in the team, but now, Sancho is not just starting to show why United so desperately coveted for two years, but is fast becoming one of the few leading lights the club can depend upon to make crucial differences in matches.

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The weather helped set the scene for Sunday’s ensuing battle, with the incessant rain leaving parts of the pitch sodden, making the trudging through no man’s land to reach your opponent that bit heavier underfoot.

Home fans did their best to raise temperatures, treated to a visit from their Rose rivals, in a full stadium, for the first time in 19 years in the Premier League. Even every United missed shot in the warm-up was loudly cheered.

As the players entered the fray, the tackles, of course, were flying in, with those close enough to the pitch resembling locals at an Iberian bullfighting arena, urging the matador to bludgeon an unfortunate beast.

United, to their credit, did not seem overawed by the occasion, with one player, in particular, standing out as others around him seemed more concerned with inflicting some pain.

Harry Maguire headed United in front to finally give set piece coach Eric Ramsey a reason to exist. The goal that seemingly put United en route to a comfortable success by Bruno Fernandes was a thing of beauty, not for the finish, but for the cross that set him up.

With Leeds defenders bursting with rage and steam streaming from their nostrils bearing down on him, Sancho remained calm when clipping a sumptuous cross onto the head of Fernandes, who could not miss.

Sancho has worked himself into such positions to create openings on plentiful occasions this season, but failed to find that killer pass. Now, he finally had that Premier League assist, on his 14th start, to prove those 11 in the German top flight last season were no fluke.

United undid their good work early in the second half. In three of their previous four league games, they had failed to earn victory having been leading by one goal at the break but, just for laughs, they instead conceded two goals in 59 seconds early in the second half to allow Leeds back into it, with the roof of the rickety old Elland Road stands almost flying off as a result.

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With pandemonium still ensuing, and emotional embraces lasting longer than when a son or daughter comes home from university for the first time, the quality of Sancho again set United on the road to a crucial success.

With options either side, the weight on the pass for Fred was something that only the very best can produce, and the Brazilian made no mistake. Leeds were done from there on in.

Sancho has now been involved in four goals in his last five games in all competitions – two goals and two assists – twice as many as he was in his first 23 appearances.

From struggling to be considered for a starting berth to being the first name on the team sheet. Rangnick was always going to look favourably on a player he knows so well from his time in Germany, but in this form, he simply cannot ignore the man who should be front and centre of his United revolution.

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