At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha equalises just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.
Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard 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 match, also blasted against a post late on.
The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim 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 absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, 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 assurance 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 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 moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous 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 the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
