At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed strike in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha responds only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed 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.
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 a team who had less time to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
The Swiss attacker 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 Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.
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 longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on the team's squad.
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 suffered poor 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 Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
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 position.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The task is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
