Key Moments
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed finish in the second half.
- Cunha equalises just three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds extend their longest Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line 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, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, 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, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's squad.
It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.
The task is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club 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 Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
