Key Moments
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed strike in the second half.
- Cunha levels only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest Premier League undefeated streak since 2001.
The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several 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 diving 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 finding it hard 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 Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on the team's options.
It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained 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 the opener.
Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The task is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to securing 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. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
