Mbeumo scores as Man United extend winless run with 1-1 draw at Leeds
Bryan Mbeumo scored as Manchester United drew 1-1 with Leeds United at Elland Road in a Premier League match on 18 October 2026, and the result stretched United's run without a victory to six matches.
United have managed only two wins from 10 games in all competitions this season, with Mbeumo now on four goals in seven Premier League appearances for the Cameroon forward. Apart from Bruno Fernandes, who hit a hat-trick against Ipswich in August, no player in Michael Carrick's squad has recorded more than one goal.
Manchester United were judged to have performed reasonably well in the draw at Leeds, mirroring their display at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday when they conceded inside the first minute, and manager Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Five Live he "had the headphones on" this week. Carrick also acknowledged his players "have to win matches at some point." Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports: "Because they haven't lost at Leeds, we're thinking United have done all right," adding: "But in some ways that is a negative. We are dropping the standards. We shouldn't really be talking about Manchester United like that."
The match was preceded by criticism of recruitment from Lisandro Martinez aimed at sporting director Jason Wilcox and the United hierarchy, with Wilcox in the stands at Elland Road sitting next to chief executive Omar Berrada. Martinez started the game after apologising for the timing and forum of his attack rather than the words themselves, and Diogo Dalot became the fifth different player to start at left-back for United this season.
Selection and fitness issues continued to trouble Carrick: Martinez went off at half-time with a thigh injury and, with Matthijs de Ligt having been out for almost 11 months with a back complaint, Carrick brought on full-back Noussair Mazraoui instead of the Netherlands international. United finished the game 13th in the Premier League table and face the possibility of dropping further before the round is complete.
Mbeumo's outing at Elland Road contained both a missed chance and a decisive contribution — he missed a free header before scoring, and he could not stop Dominic Calvert-Lewin powering in an equaliser just after half-time. The forward's work has taken on extra importance while several of Carrick's attacking players struggle; the report states Fernandes has been "a shadow of the player who broke the Premier League assists record last season" even though the United boss said the Portuguese was "absolutely fine," and striker Benjamin Sesko remains unavailable with a shin injury.
Tactical flexibility has been part of Mbeumo's role this season: he spent the opening games on the right when Amad Diallo was ruled out, moved into the number nine position on Diallo's return, and played on the left at Elland Road as Fernandes operated more centrally; the article also notes Mbeumo is a former Brentford player. Former United striker Dion Dublin said: "When you are the kind of player who can be very good in a lot of positions, managers will always say: 'Can you do this? Can you do that?'" and "When you're in this Manchester United team at the moment, you just have to go where is best for the team."
Carrick offered specific praise for Mbeumo, saying: "Bryan gives so much to the team," "He sacrifices so much." "He's willing to do pretty much anything that needs to be done to benefit the team - whether that's defending in certain areas, whether that's attacking. He'll give everything he's got." "He's getting in really good positions to be really dangerous for us, and it's great to have him."
United now prepare for a midweek trip to Serie A outfit Como in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the article noting it "remains to be seen if Shaw will be fit enough" for that match.
