Ruben Amorim: 'MU dropped points due to minor details'

Coach Ruben Amorim explained why Man Utd secured just one point away at Leeds in the 20th round of the Premier League.

Man Utd started 2026 in a somewhat incomplete manner as they only achieved a draw at Leeds' home ground in the 20th round of the Premier League.

This was the third consecutive match where the "Red Devils" avoided defeat, but two of those were draws, including one point gained against the bottom team Wolves in the previous round. After 90 minutes at Elland Road, Coach Ruben Amorim praised the team’s gameplay but also highlighted the key factor that led to conceding a goal.

Specifically, the Portuguese tactician stated: "I think we played well. I feel Man Utd controlled this match better than the game against Wolves. The important thing is that from this, you can prepare for the next week and learn from the mistakes shown in the previous match. I believe we managed Leeds quite well, a very strong team in set-pieces, aerial duels, and with a very fast attack. We dominated the game and naturally created chances to win.

We are losing points over small details. Leeds’ goal came while we were controlling the match, just from a quick transition. However, the team knew how to respond. If it had been last season, things might have been completely different. This year, I feel we have better control over the game compared to last season. It was a good match, but of course, there is some disappointment for not securing all three points."

One of the most disappointing players for Man Utd was Ayden Heaven, who made a direct error leading to Leeds’ opening goal. When asked about using too many young players recently, Amorim said: "If you look at Ayden and Leny, they are both very young. But that’s not the issue. When you play well for 90 minutes and make one mistake, this can happen to anyone, whether it’s Ayden or a very experienced player like Harry Maguire.

Situations like this are unavoidable. Overall, we had chances to score a second goal to win, and then no one would be talking about Leeds’ goal anymore."

Man Utd controlled most of the game but unexpectedly conceded from a Leeds transition. Ayden Heaven’s lapse in concentration gifted Brenden Aaronson a goal after a sharp finish in the 62nd minute.

However, the "Red Devils" equalized within 3 minutes when Joshua Zirkzee provided a through ball for Matheus Cunha, who calmly finished into the far corner. Later, the Brazilian had a chance to become the hero, but luck was not on his side as his shot hit the post.

In the end, Man Utd left Elland Road with a 1-1 draw. The point gained allowed Coach Ruben Amorim’s team to temporarily climb to 5th place in the standings with 31 points, one point ahead of Chelsea but having played one more game.