At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee directed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from substitute 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 big-money 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 the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a full length 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 impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the missing pair 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 trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.
His 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 fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The job is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
