Rio Ferdinand has lavished praise on Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha, whose crucial equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road on January 4, 2026.
Cunha's 'Old School' Equaliser Earns Point
With manager Ruben Amorim's squad depleted by injuries, United looked destined for a damaging defeat after Brenden Aaronson put Leeds ahead just after the hour mark. The American midfielder capitalised on a defensive error from young centre-back Ayden Heaven to fire the home side in front.
Amorim responded swiftly, introducing striker Joshua Zirkzee for defender Leny Yoro. The attacking substitution paid immediate dividends. After a neat move involving Diogo Dalot and Benjamin Sesko, Zirkzee slid a perfect through ball behind a static Leeds defence, allowing Cunha to finish smartly and level the scores.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former United defender Ferdinand highlighted the quality of the goal and Cunha's overall contribution. "Cunha, he's the one guy I look at and see something in the game always and go 'that's why you buy him'," Ferdinand said. "His run for the goal was brilliant... That's old school football. That was up, back, through. Old school and that won't ever change."
Increased Responsibility for United's Brazilian Forward
The goal was just Cunha's fourth of the season, but it underscored his growing importance to the side. With key attacking players like Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, and Amad Diallo all unavailable, the summer signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers has shouldered extra responsibility.
Ferdinand praised not just the Brazilian's technical skill but his work ethic. "He holds people off at times, he gets you up the pitch with his ability to hold up the ball three or four seconds. Takes the sting out of it at times," he added.
Cunha himself expressed frustration after the match, having seen a spectacular first-half effort ruled out for a disputed offside. "Honestly I don't understand," he said. "I talked to the referee... For me it was a little bit frustrating." Reflecting on the overall result, he admitted the team felt a negative atmosphere after failing to win, having also drawn with Wolves at Old Trafford in their previous outing.
Match Analysis and Key Talking Points
The draw highlighted several ongoing issues for Amorim's United. While Patrick Dorgu performed adequately in an unfamiliar right-sided No. 10 role, the tactical experiment underscored the team's lack of quality in the final third. Young defender Ayden Heaven, named United's Player of the Month for December, showed his inexperience with the costly error for Leeds's goal.
For Leeds, Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his impressive form since joining on a free transfer, hitting the post with a first-half header and proving a constant threat.
Manchester United match ratings: Lammens 6, Yoro 5, Heaven 6, Martinez 6, Dalot 5, Casemiro 7, Ugarte 5, Shaw 6, Dorgu 6, Cunha 7, Sesko 4. Subs: Zirkzee 6.
Leeds United match ratings: Perri 6, Bornauw 6, Bijol 7, Struijk 8, Justin 7, Aaronson 7, Gruev 6, Stach 7, Gudmundsson 7, Calvert-Lewin 7, Okafor 7. Subs: Nmecha 6, Tanaka N/A, Gnonto N/A, Piroe N/A.
