Richard Martin

Matheus Cunha spared Manchester United's blushes by snatching a 1-1 draw against rivals Leeds United on Sunday, but Benjamin Sekso endured one of his worst performances for the Red Devils, looking on a different page to his team-mates before missing the target with a close-range sitter.

Ruben Amorim has defended himself against criticism that he does not take enough risks with Manchester United by insisting they are one of the most attacking teams in the Premier League. The coach has seen his tactics slammed by former Red Devils' greats such as Gary Neville and Paul Scholes in recent weeks while fans have taken against his substitutions.

Ruben Amorim had a tetchy exchange with a reporter as he refused to explain why he is veering from the 3-4-3 formation he wanted to build his Manchester United side around. The Portuguese was asked three times during Friday's press conference before facing Leeds what he had meant with previous comments about his change of heart. But each time he shied away from giving an answer.

Ruben Amorim has declared that no Manchester United player will be allowed to leave the club in the January transfer window, handing blows to wantaway duo Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee. United are still at the gates of the Champions League qualifying spots but there appears to be no chance of the club strengthening in the winter market to boost their chances of finishing in the top four.

Marcus Rashford needs to improve in two key areas in order to convince Barcelona to sign him from Manchester United permanently. The England forward has impressed in his first six months for Hansi Flick's side but there is still work for him to do and he is one of three players whose future at the Camp Nou is up in the air heading into the second half of the season.

Pep Guardiola was in a positive mood after Manchester City drew 0-0 at Sunderland even though it meant his side fell four points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race. City failed to score for the first time in 10 league matches and lost Nico Gonzalez and Savinho to injury. Guardiola, however, could be seen smiling during his post-match interview.

Manchester City lost crucial ground to Arsenal in the Premier League title race as they could only manage a 0-0 draw away to Sunderland. Pep Guardiola's side had a poor first half and Erling Haaland had a bad day at the office, only having one proper chance which he sent straight at Sunderland's superb goalkeeper Robin Roefs. Gianluigi Donnarumma was even more impressive down the other end.

January is often described as the grimmest month of the year, but it can also be a time of renewal, a moment to make a fresh start. And for football clubs, the opening of the January transfer window provides an opportunity for clubs to breathe new life into their disappointing campaigns and invest for the future.

Ruben Amorim admitted that Manchester United played with a different kind of energy during their dreadful 1-1 draw at home to Wolves. The visitors arrived at Old Trafford having lost their last 12 matches and without picking up a point since early October but they were well worth the point they left with and would have taken all three had it not been for a great save by Senne Lammens.

Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson is top of the list of players Manchester United would like to sign in January as they look set to lose out to Manchester City in the race to sign Antoine Semenyo. Anderson is one of eight holding midfielders United are interested in due amid the uncertainty around Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte's struggles.

Ruben Amorim has praised Bruno Fernandes for his exemplary attitude while he is out injured. The Manchester United captain suffered a soft tissue injury against Aston Villa, ruling him out for the busy festive period. He still attended United's 1-0 win over Newcastle and Amorim said he continues to take a deep interest in the team, watching training sessions after doing his recovery work.

Paul Scholes has named his worst ever team-mate during his long career at Manchester United, tearing the culprit apart for his lack of professionalism. Scholes spent 20 seasons with the Red Devils, winning 12 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues. He shared a dressing room with the likes of Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney but not every player impressed him.

Rayan Cherki has revealed he had Erling Haaland's blessing when he mimicked the Norwegian's iconic lotus celebration after firing Manchester City to victory at Nottingham Forest. The Frenchman's 83rd-minute strike gave City a sixth straight Premier League victory to keep the pressure on Arsenal in the title race after a hard-fought contest with Sean Dyche's side.

Rayan Cherki underlined his status as the Premier League's signing of the season by rescuing all three points for Manchester City after they were put to the test by a stubborn and dangerous Nottingham Forest but eventually left with a crucial 2-1 victory. Cherki set up the opening goal for Tijjani Reijnders to make it seven assists for the season, the joint-highest along with Bruno Fernandes.

Gary Neville singled out one Manchester United player for praise after the Red Devils ground out a 1-0 win over Newcastle but was critical of Ruben Amorim for his surprising changes late on in the game. Patrick Dorgu's brilliant volley gave United the lead in an excellent first-half display but the hosts had their backs against the wall after the break and had to dig deep to see out the win.

No Bruno Fernandes? No problem. Manchester United picked up their first home win in two months as they edged out a 1-0 win over Newcastle without their inspirational captain. Lisandro Martinez made a thunderous return to action - taking the armband in Fernandes' absence - while Patrick Dorgu was an even bigger revelation, dazzling in attack and winning the game with a tremendous volley.

Pure excitement has been the theme of this Premier League season. Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are locked in a three-way title race while practically the rest of the division is competing for a European place. Indeed, the table is so crowded it feels more like the Championship than the top-flight, with back-to-back wins being all it takes to propel teams from 15th to the top five.

Jadon Sancho might be more of a basketball man than baseball but ever since he joined Aston Villa he has been on his third strike. He flopped terribly at Manchester United even before blowing his career up over a petty dispute with Erik ten Hag. He then failed to convince on loan at Chelsea, who backed out of an agreed deal to sign him. Now he is a periphery squad member for Villa.