At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest Premier League undefeated streak since 2001.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, the United boss 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 opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot 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 the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect the hosts 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 United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee'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 matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points 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: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick 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 options.
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, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals 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 confidence 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 United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety
After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
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 clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested 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, Leeds' 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 suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The task is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA 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.
