Sky Sports presenter David Jones opted against issuing an apology after Noah Okafor delivered an expletive-laden reaction following Leeds United’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
Okafor emerged as the hero for Leeds, netting twice in the first half to secure the Whites’ first league triumph at Old Trafford since 1981. However, following the final whistle, the Switzerland international appeared to let his emotions get the better of him as he celebrated and used profanity in front of the television camera.
With the camera focused on the elated Okafor, he exclaimed: “Let’s go. For f**** sake, come on!”
While Sky Sports typically choose to apologise when foul language is broadcast, Jones refrained from doing so on this particular occasion.
Jones said: “What a night for Leeds United and that young man. Two goals and a little bit of colourful language, I think we can forgive him (Okafor) that on a night of huge passion and huge emotion for his football club.
“Those two goals and that victory might well have just taken a big leap towards Leeds United staying in the Premier League.”
Man United were left shell-shocked as Leeds burst out of the blocks and seized the lead through Okafor’s fifth-minute strike. The Whites were magnificent throughout the opening period and extended their lead just before the half-hour mark when Okafor crashed home from the edge of the area.
Michael Carrick’s men showed improvement at the start of the second half, yet their chances of clawing their way back into the match became significantly harder when Lisandro Martinez was dismissed for tugging Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair.
The Red Devils did reduce the deficit through Casemiro in the 69th minute, but were incapable of securing the crucial equaliser as Leeds held firm for a historic victory to strengthen their Premier League survival prospects.
Sharing his thoughts on the match, Red Devils icon Gary Neville said post-match: “It’s a monumental night for Leeds. He’ll have been nervous about the fact Leeds were perilously close to the relegation zone but this win goes a long way towards securing survival.
“It’s the most disappointing night for Michael Carrick since he took over. They’ll have to recover quickly with Chelsea coming up on Saturday. They never got going. Leeds fully deserved it over the course of the 90 minutes. They were the better team.”
The defeat leaves Man United rooted in third while failing to widen the gap between themselves and sixth-place Chelsea in the battle for Champions League qualification. They remain seven points ahead of the Blues with six fixtures remaining.
The Premier League is assured five spots in Europe’s premier club competition, though this could rise to six should Aston Villa finish fifth and claim the Europa League, meaning Carrick’s men may only require a top-six finish.