Leeds 1-1 Man Utd: Matheus Cunha cancels out Brenden Aaronson strike but Ruben Amorim's side held again
Match report as Manchester United are held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds; Brenden Aaronson scored the opener for Leeds but Matheus Cunha levelled shortly afterwards; Ruben Amorim's side have only one win from last five games; Leeds now unbeaten in seven
Sunday 4 January 2026 16:22, UK
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road as bitter rivals Leeds extended their unbeaten run to seven games.
Ruben Amorin's side, held by the same scoreline against Wolves on Tuesday, had to come from behind on this occasion after Brenden Aaronson put Leeds ahead when he outpaced Ayden Heaven to beat Senne Lammens in the second half.
The visitors hit back quickly, however, with Matheus Cunha finishing smartly on the angle just 174 seconds after the opening goal, having been played through by substitute Joshua Zirkzee.
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The equaliser set up a frantic finale which featured chances for both sides. Cunha went closest for Manchester United when he struck the outside of the post from the edge of the box, while Benjamin Sesko fired wastefully wide from Zirkzee's cut-back.
Joel Piroe then came close to a winner at the other end when he fired narrowly over with his first touch after coming off the bench.
Leeds also struck the post from Dominic Calvert-Lewin's glancing header in the first half, while Noah Okafor had an overhead kick superbly saved at full stretch by Lammens.
Amorim's side had other scoring opportunities too, the best of which saw Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri make a fine reflex stop from Leny Yoro's close-range header.
Manchester United showed some improvement from the Wolves draw, after which they were booed off at Old Trafford, but the result leaves them with one win from their last five Premier League games.
For Leeds, impressive again having drawn with Liverpool on New Year's Day, it is another step towards safety, a seventh game without loss which puts them eight points clear of the drop zone.
Farke: Another valuable point
Leeds boss Daniel Farke speaking with TNT Sports: "If you play Man Utd as a newly-promoted side it's always a good point.
"It was not our best game, it was a bit scruffy at times and you could feel that a few key players were out and we were a bit tired.
"We found a way to force an opener and would've taken all three points so I'm a bit disappointed, but if I calm down it's probably a fair result.
"It was important to play aggressively but not lose our nerves and find a good balance. It wasn't our best game but it was another valuable point."
Amorim: I am a manager not a head coach
In an explosive end to his post-match press conference, Ruben Amorim insisted he sees himself as a manager rather than a head coach.
"I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United," he said. "That is clear.
"I know that my name is not [Thomas] Tuchel, it's not [Antonio] Conte, it's not [Jose] Mourinho, but I'm the manager of Manchester United and it's going to be like this for 18 months or when the board decides to change.
"That was my point. I want to finish with that. I'm not going to quit. I will do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me."
Speaking to TNT Sports about the game, Amorim added: "I think we played well.
"I think we had more control in this game than we showed against Wolves. That is important when you prepare for the next week as you can learn from the mistakes you made in the last game.
"We controlled Leeds quite well. A team that is quite strong on set-pieces and second balls and really quick up front. We had our opportunities to win the game, of course. We are losing games in the details. For Leeds' goal, we are controlling the game and one kick in transition [undoes us].
"We managed to get back into the game. Last year, it would be completely different. This year we are in control of the games more often than last year. We are little bit frustrated not to win."
Analysis: How Cunha stepped up for Man Utd
Cunha performed poorly in the draw with his former club Wolves but this was much more like it from the 26-year-old. He looked determined to give a better account of himself right from the start and finished the game as its outstanding player.
His goal, slotted past Perri after being played in by Zirkzee, means he has scored or assisted in four of his last six appearances. He was inches away from adding a winner when his curling shot bounced off the outside of the post in the closing stages.
At a difficult ground, Manchester United needed him to step up. They were once again heavily depleted in attack, still without the injured Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount as well as AFCON absentees Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo.
For much of the game, Cunha had to make things happen on his own, with Sesko struggling again. But Zirkzee's introduction gave him a better foil and he was energetic throughout, relishing the physical battle and giving his team an outlet.
"We tried to do everything to win," he said after the game. That was particularly true of man-of-the-match Cunha himself.
Cunha's away record - Opta stats
- Nineteen of Matheus Cunha's 31 Premier League goals since the start of 2023/24 have come away from home. Only Erling Haaland (31), Mohamed Salah (23), Ollie Watkins (22), and Alexander Isak (20) have more away goals in that time.
- Leeds's seven-game unbeaten run is their longest in the Premier League since between May and November in 2001 under David O'Leary (13 games - W8 D5).
- Leeds have earned as many points across the last seven games (11) as their in their opening 13 games of the 2025/26 campaign (W3 D2 L8).
