At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Cunha equalises only three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds continue their longest top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money 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 the hosts to sympathise with 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 visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers 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 suffered poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest 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 other fixtures.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that struck 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 defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now overseeing significant progress.
The task is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
