At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed strike in the second half.
- Cunha responds just three minutes later.
- Leeds continue their best Premier League unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had less time to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and international duty.
Not that 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 struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best 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 chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing 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 squad.
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 suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous 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 intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in dangerous 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 struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.
The task is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
