Benjamin Sesko and Teammate Who Lost Nine Ground Duels Among Man United’s Losers from Draw vs Leeds

In a tense 1-1 draw at Elland Road, Manchester United dropped points against rivals Leeds United, extending their winless streak and frustrating manager Ruben Amorim's side amid injury woes.Benjamin Sesko emerged as a prime culprit, enduring another shocker by squandering multiple golden opportunities, including a glorious 75th-minute chance from Joshua Zirkzee's cutback, firing wastefully wide.

United, missing eight key players including top goalscorers, lined up with six defenders and two holding midfielders, leading to a scrappy first half. Notable moments included Matheus Cunha's offside goal and Leny Yoro's header tipped over by Leeds keeper Lucas Perri. Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit the woodwork for the hosts.

Leeds ramped up pressure post-interval, with Senne Lammens saving Gabriel Gudmundsson's strike. The opener came in the 62nd minute: Diogo Dalot lost possession to Pascal Struijk, Brenden Aaronson outpaced Ayden Heaven—who reportedly lost nine ground duels—and slotted past Lammens, sparking Elland Road delirium, their first home win over United since 2002.

Amorim's immediate response paid off; substitute Zirkzee linked with Sesko before assisting Cunha for a cool equalizer three minutes later, slipping low past Perri. United briefly threatened, but Sesko's miss and Cunha's post-hitting effort epitomized their wastefulness. Leeds sub Joel Piroe nearly won it, volleying narrowly over.

Player ratings hammered United's underperformers: Sesko's profligacy (multiple misses) and Heaven's defensive frailty (nine duels lost, pivotal error for Aaronson's goal) headlined the losers. Zirkzee and Cunha salvaged a point, but Amorim's absentee-hit team missed a vital 2026 opener victory, held again after a midweek Wolves draw.Leeds extended their unbeaten run to seven.

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