At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low finish in the second half.
- Cunha equalises just three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee directed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post late on.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
