Joe Hary and Owen Hargreaves agreed on one Manchester United star who changed the game as soon as he came on, helping his side instantly reply to going behind.
Manchester United had to settle for a 1–1 draw against Leeds on Sunday afternoon, with Brenden Aaronson and Matheus Cunha on the scoresheet as the points were shared.
The eagerly awaited encounter started at a fierce tempo, as United matched Leeds’ intensity and stood firm during a physical opening spell. Chances were at a premium, though Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cunha both went close, with neither side able to break the deadlock before half-time.
The pattern continued after the restart, but Leeds eventually found the breakthrough through Aaronson. United responded swiftly, Cunha firing home the equaliser 25 minutes from time to restore parity for Rúben Amorim’s side.
Both teams pushed for a winner as the game opened up late on, yet a lack of cutting edge in the final third ensured honours ended even at full time.
Joshua Zirkzee changed the game
Having just conceded the opening goal of the game, Amorim looked to his bench to bring on attacking reinforcements in an attempt to reply to going behind.
Joshua Zirkzee was the one who got the nod, coming on in the 63rd minute and was immediately involved in bringing parity to the game, playing Cunha in through on goal with a brilliant through ball.
Speaking after the game, former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves reflected on the 24-year-old’s impact on the game. “At that point [after Leeds scored], you thought, oh, you know, this could be a really long day.
“Zirkzee comes off the bench, and within a minute and a half, you know, completely changes. Šeško does really well, comes in short, sets it. Cunha runs in behind, and the weight of the pass, Joe [Hart], was brilliant.
Joe Hart also spoke about how the brilliance of Zirkzee’s pass led to Leeds’ goalkeeper being caught out.”Yeah. I think everyone’s turned straight to me, what’s Perri doing, where he is? But it’s just the weight of the pass. Finally, a good bit of build-up play.
“[Benjamin] Šeško laying it off. Zirkzee, that timing just sucks him out. And once he’s out, he makes Cunha’s mind up. He’s on the stretch.
“I think if you look back at this, when you go into the analysis room on Monday, you’re going to say, did I need to come? But I think it was just such a clever ball by Zirkzee, and a really good finish.”
Zirkzee stepped up against Leeds
With all the noise going into the January transfer window surrounding a potential move away for Zirkzee, what he displayed against Leeds goes a long way in showing the club what he can bring to the side.
While he was initially signed as an out-and-out striker last season, the Dutchman showed that his skill set is potentially tailored to play more as a No. 10 and create chances rather than be tasked with finishing them.
Read More: Rúben Amorim issues immediate Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount injury update after Leeds draw
Apart from assisting the equaliser, the forward displayed some great hold-up play, as well as playing in another great ball into the box that Šeško perhaps should have done better with.
There is no denying that the Slovenian international has endured a difficult time as of late, having not scored since the fourth of October against Sunderland.
With Cunha’s finishing ability on display and Zirkzee’s versatility across the forward line, it may be better for Šeško to be benched for a few games as he continues to adapt to life in the Premier League.
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