Maguire admits set-piece weakness cost Manchester United a win at Leeds

Harry Maguire has pointed to Manchester United’s persistent set-piece frailty after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s corner-kick goal cancelled out United’s half-time lead in a 1-1 Premier League draw at Elland Road on Sunday.

United had controlled much of the first half to lead going into the break, but Carlos Baleba lost his man just five minutes after the restart, allowing Calvert-Lewin to pounce and level. The result leaves United without a win in six matches and with the joint-third worst set-piece goals-conceded record in the Premier League this season.

“It’s a game where we got ourselves in a great situation at half-time, and we’ve been done by a set play, a corner,” Maguire said. “When you come to these away games, you’ve got to do the basics well. And the basics is defending set plays.”

The defender drew a direct parallel with United’s 2-0 opening-day defeat to Hull City, where both goals also came from dead-ball situations. “At Hull, we got beat there with set plays, and then today we felt comfortable in the game — we didn’t give them much at all — and then the set play changes the whole game,” he added.

Maguire acknowledged that United dug in after conceding, crediting the team’s spirit during a difficult 15-to-20-minute spell in which Leeds pressed for a winner. But he was clear that resilience alone is not enough. “We have got to start winning football matches soon, and that’s what Manchester United demands, and that’s what us players demand,” he said.

The centre-back also called for greater composure in possession, suggesting the squad has more to offer going forward. “We can play better with the ball, we can show a little bit more composure and bravery,” he said, while accepting that a share of the points was ultimately a fair reflection of the contest.

United’s attention now turns to a midweek Champions League fixture against Como, which Maguire framed as an immediate opportunity to arrest the run. “When you’re not winning football matches, the best thing to have is games around the corner,” he said. “Obviously disappointed to lose in Madrid in the week — felt like we deserved something from that.”