Manchester United salvaged a 2-2 draw against Leeds United at Old Trafford (Shutterstock)

Michael Owen slammed Marcus Rashford and Raphael Varane for their ‘criminal’ defending for a free kick in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Leeds United on Wednesday evening.

Erik ten Hag’s side battled back from two goals down to salvage a point at Old Trafford as second-half goals from Rashford and Jadon Sancho rescued a draw.

However, Leeds came close to scoring a third after the break as Brenden Aaronson hit the post from a free kick.

Subsequent replays showed that the ball travelled through United’s wall as both Rashford and Varane had split, leaving David De Gea furious.

‘I couldn’t believe it, I couldn’t believe this wall,’ Owen told Premier League Productions.

Michael Owen slammed Marcus Rashford and Raphael Varane for turning their backs in the wall (Premier League Productions)

‘Look a this the way they split – Varane and Rashford they just split – the ball goes low, right through the middle, it didn’t go over the wall at all.

‘If that goes in, and they both turn away, that’s criminal, that’s criminal. I mean, if that goes in there’s serious, serious words being had after.

‘You simply cannot do that. You need to be big, brave and bold in a wall and to turn your back and split – everything you cannot do they did there.

‘They’ve got away with it. They better look at that and think, ‘wow, that’s pretty embarrassing, we can’t do that again’.’

Jadon Sancho scored Manchester United’s equaliser to rescue a point at Old Trafford (AP)

Meanwhile, Owen has backed Sancho to kick on after scoring his first goal since returning from his three-month absence.

‘This will do him so much confidence, beating players, scoring a goal, having a big influence on getting back into the game,’ Owensaid.

‘We’ve seen it before, mostly in Germany, but in the Premier League that’s the acid test. I think he’s good enough, I think he can make a big impression, I think he can have a great career, it’s been a stuttering start.

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‘I think the difference between these confidence players, these wide, attacking players, that need to feel loved, that need to feel confident, when you come into a team that’s really struggling, I don’t care if you’re on a high, if the other 10 players are struggling at the time, it’s so hard to make an impression.

‘Now he comes back into a Manchester United team that are confident, playing well, and I think that could be the making of him.’

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‘You simply cannot do that.’