Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United's plan to 'get after' Leeds United worked perfectly

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United's plan to 'get after' Leeds United worked perfectly following his side's 6-2 thrashing of the Whites.

The two arch rivals came to blows for the first time in nearly 17 years at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League.

It was the Red Devils who took the bragging rights on home soil as they dominated the affair from the first minute.

Scott McTominay opened the scoring after just 67 seconds in Lancashire with Marcelo Bielsa's outfit suffering a nightmare start.

Things would turn from bad to worse just a minute later as the midfielder pounced a second time to double the scoreline with Leeds left stunned with barely three minutes on the clock.

Bruno Fernandes added a third with a low finish from inside the area on the 20 minute mark before defender Victor Lindelof made it four from a corner.

Liam Cooper did strike before the half-time interval but goals from Daniel James and a penalty from Fernandes completed the hosts' scoring and an emphatic win in the second half.

Stuart Dallas bagged a second consolation goal late on but the Elland Road outfit were left to pick themselves up at the full-time whistle following a heavy defeat.

Solskjaer - who celebrated two years in charge at Old Trafford this week - admitted his belief post-match that his team's game plan worked to perfection.

“That was fantastic from the first minute," Solskjaer reflected.

"We had a plan to get after them, go forwards when we had the ball. The way we approached the game, of course, we've shown them videos and analysed [Leeds] and they were wide-eyed, the boys, when they saw the clips we showed them.

"The spaces that can appear, or not appear if we don't do the work. They did the work, spot on."

He added: "We know they'll challenge you physically and tactically. It's almost going back to the old German games. When you get the start the way we did it helps. They kept going to the end and I think it showed we can match them physically.

"I'm very, very happy with the way we created chances and the amount. We had some great moves and individual skill.

"Sometimes you look at it and think 'come on let's put the ball in the goal'. We can't be greedy. Our main centre forwards didn't get on the scoresheet and we still scored six so I'm very happy with the approach.

"Every team and manager has their own style, setting up a team against another team, you think more about yourself than the opposition. I admire teams that play their own game."

Former Bielsa transfer target James was handed just his fourth top flight start of the season by his head coach.

Asked if it was due to his association with the Whites following a failed deadline day move from Swansea City two years ago, Solskjaer said: "Not at all. He's a Man Utd player, he's proven time and time again how he can improve our performances at times with this exceptional pace."

James was also booked for simulation in the second period of the encounter as he fell under the challenge of Cooper on the counter-attack.

"It does do my head in when he gets a yellow card [for diving], it's a penalty, it's a foul," Solskjaer added. "He's almost been labelled as a diver before but his pace is almost impossible to stop.

"Dan has got a big role to play for us and it's got nothing to do with whatever club he looked like signing for."

The Red Devils boss was also full of praise for McTominay post-match, whose two goals set the hosts on their way to all three points.

"He's a physical monster, he never shirks anything and he gets his reward," Solskjaer admitted.

"He's improving. He can do everything. He used to be a striker and I think he proved today he's a handful in and around the box. That energy and pride in a derby like this was important."