Key Moments
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a low effort in the second period.
- Cunha levels only three minutes later.
- Leeds extend their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect the hosts 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 United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim'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 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 Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly 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 Sesko.
On this showing, the expensive 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 nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
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 Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now overseeing significant progress.
The task is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
Leeds have a top-flight 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 entering their cup journey with a home tie.
