At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed strike in the second half.
- Cunha levels just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing Leeds 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 Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.
Not that the hosts to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.
It's not that the missing pair are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival
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 moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other encounters.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous 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 struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now masterminding clear progress.
The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
