At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Cunha levels only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest top-flight undefeated streak since 2001.
The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, 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.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile 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 Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, 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 contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.
The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation 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 participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the missing pair are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.
He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
His 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 memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a Premier League 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 FA Cup journey with a home tie.
