Match Summary
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha levels only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.
Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety
After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
