Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road as arch-rivals Leeds extended their unbeaten run to seven games.
Ruben Amorim’s side were held on the same scoreline against Wolves on Tuesday but needed to take the opportunity to turn things around as Brenden Aaronson outscored Aiden Haven in the second half to beat Senne Lamence to put Leeds ahead.
However, the visitors quickly hit back and, just 174 seconds after their opener, Matheus Cunha finished well from a narrow angle, and substitute Joshua Zirkzee fired home.
The equalizing goal created a frenetic finale with chances for both teams. For Manchester United, Cunha fired a shot wide of the post from the edge of the box, and Benjamin Sesco wasted a shot wide of Zirkzee’s cutback.
Joel Pillow then came off the bench and scored with his first touch, bringing the opposition close to scoring.
Leeds also had Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s sharp header hit the post in the first half, but Noah Okafor’s overhead kick was saved by Lamence with all his might.
Matheus Cunha celebrates Man United’s equalizer against Leeds
Amorim’s side had other chances to score, but the best of them was Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perry’s brilliant reflex to stop Lenny Yolo’s close-range header.
Manchester United showed some improvement from their draw with Wolves, who were then booed at Old Trafford, but the result means they have now won just one of their last five Premier League games.
For Leeds, their draw with Liverpool on New Year’s Day was impressive, but this is another step towards safety, with them now eight points clear of the drop zone on their seventh game without a loss.
Mr. Falke: Another valuable point.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke told TNT Sports: “When you play Man United as a newly promoted team, that’s always a good thing.
“It wasn’t our best game, it was a bit of a dirty game at times and we were missing a few key players and it felt like we were a little tired.
“It’s a bit disappointing because we found a way to get the first goal and we took all three points, but if we calm down it’s probably a reasonable result.
“It was important to find a good balance by playing aggressively but not losing our nerve. It wasn’t our best game, but it was another valuable point.”
Amorim: I’m a manager, not a head coach
The post-match press conference ended explosively, with Ruben Amorim claiming he considers himself a manager, not a head coach.
“I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United,” he said. “That’s clear.
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Ruben Amorim insists he is at Manchester United to become manager, not head coach
“I know my name is not[Thomas]Tuchel,[Antonio]Conte or[Jose]Mourinho, but I am the manager of Manchester United and will remain so for 18 months or until the board decides to replace me.”
“That was my point. I want to be done with this. I’m not going to quit. I’m going to do my job until someone else comes along to replace me.”
Speaking to TNT Sports about the game, Amorim said: “I think we played well.
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Football task force discusses Amorim’s future at Manchester United following comments about him being a manager rather than a head coach
“I think we had better control in this game than we showed against Wolves. We can learn from the mistakes we made in the previous game, so that’s important as we prepare for next week.”
“We controlled Leeds very well. They’re very good at set-pieces and second balls, very fast up front. Of course we had chances to win the game, but we lost the game in the little details. As for Leeds’ goals, we controlled the game and one kick in transition (set us back).”
“I managed to get back into the game. Last year it would have been completely different. This year I was able to control the game more than last year. I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t win.”
Analysis: How Cunha stepped up at Manchester United
Cunha performed poorly in the draw with his former club Wolves, but this was much more similar to when he was 26 years old. He looked determined to give a better account of himself from the start and finished the match as an outstanding player.
Zirksee’s play in scoring past Perry means he has scored or assisted in four of his past six appearances. He almost added the winning goal late on when his curling shot bounced off the outside of the post.
Manchester United needed him to step up in a difficult situation. Without the injured Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount, as well as AFCON absentees Amad Diallo and Brian Mbeumo, the attack was once again severely weakened.
Cunha had to fend for himself for much of the match, and Sesco once again struggled. However, the introduction of Zirkzee gave us a better foil and he energized the team by enjoying an energetic and physical battle throughout.
After the match, he said, “I did everything I could to win.” That was especially true for Man of the Match Cunha himself.
Cunha away record – Opta statistics
Of the 31 goals Matheus Cunha has scored in the Premier League since the start of the 2023/24 season, 19 have come from home. Only Erling Haaland (31), Mohamed Salah (23), Olly Watkins (22) and Alexander Isaac (20) have scored more away goals during this period. Leeds’ seven-game unbeaten run is their longest in the Premier League (13 games – win-loss, 8 minutes, 5 seconds), dating from May to November 2001 under manager David O’Leary. Leeds have picked up as many points (11) in their last seven games. They played in the opening 13 games of the 2025/26 season (W3 D2 L8).
