At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha responds only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest Premier League unbeaten run since 2001.
Manchester United's poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds 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 several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the missing pair 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, Amorim has few attacking options.
He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly 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 showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other encounters.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability 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 threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
However, 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 season, many thought about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The task is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer 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 domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
