At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a low effort in the second half.
- Cunha levels just three minutes later.
- Leeds continue their longest top-flight undefeated streak since 2001.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the post for the confident hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian'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 mix of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor 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 impression, 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 late on.
The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.
It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.
He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 thrilling 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 typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare 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 season, many speculated about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.
