As Manchester United probed for a seventh goal late in the contest at Old Trafford, Leeds United had one thing on their mind: regaining the ball and trying again at the other end.
Sky Sports commentators Martin Tyler and Gary Neville commended Marcelo Bielsa's men and their approach to the game. Buzzwords such as naivety and pragmatism were thrown around too when the game's outcome was all but decided, and yet there was still praise for Leeds' style.
This has been reciprocated online from neutral observers, as well as reflected in the statistics.
Football statisticians Opta revealed that Leeds and Man United played out the most entertaining game of the season so far, with a cumulative Expected Goals (xG) total of 5.8 - more than any other Premier League game this campaign.
It is little consolation to Leeds supporters who have waited 16 years for a shot at Manchester United as equals in the Premier League, though. Ultimately, it proved a bridge too far - Leeds can't yet describe themselves as on par with their great rivals, evidenced by today's scoreline.
It is perhaps befitting of Marcelo Bielsa's organised chaos that a system which appears frantic and always on the brink of unravelling did so in the same week it worked so well against a lacklustre Newcastle United.
Pundits will no doubt now come out of the woodwork to impart their so-called wisdom suggesting Bielsa should 'adapt to the Premier League' and set his side up in more 'pragmatic fashion', but if Leeds were to safely retain their Premier League status, whilst also playing entertaining football, would there have been any need for pragmatism?
Losing in such a manner is all the more sobering because of the opposition. Had it been a 6-2 defeat to Manchester City or Liverpool, Leeds supporters may feel less inclined to be as gutted by today's result as they justifiably are.
Leeds are chaotic, frenetic even, but that is their place in this Premier League, as the competition's wildcard, who each opponent raises their game for.
Leeds have created chances worth 25.6 xG according to InfoGol, more than every other side in the division apart from Liverpool, which goes to show that they are certainly unique.
A heavy defeat to an arch-rival always rankles and leaves a sour taste in the mouth, but Leeds only have one way of playing, and they will not compromise for anyone.
Had their high press of Scott McTominay paid off from the first minute, pinning Manchester United back and gaining a stranglehold of the game, it would have been described as a tactical masterstroke.
There is no escaping the fact Leeds gave up chance after chance, but they finished the match with Leif Davis, Jamie Shackleton, Pascal Struijk, Gjanni Alioski and Luke Ayling shoring up the defence, against Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani.
It was a mismatch of enormous proportions, and they should be praised for refusing to conform to a backs-against-the-wall performance that many clubs of similar personnel would have employed.
Manchester City demolished Burnley by five goals to nil at the Etihad Stadium recently, with the Clarets rarely getting a kick in the City half, losing with a whimper.
Styles can be debated all day long, but sometimes quality reigns supreme over all else; Manchester United have that in droves, Leeds as a newly-promoted outfit with a makeshift defence do not.
