At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header come back off the post.
- Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed strike in the second half.
- Cunha responds only three minutes later.
- Leeds extend their best Premier League unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee directed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had less time to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to skipper 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 experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.
He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, 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 confidence 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 new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety
After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The striker's 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 the opener.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, 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 season, many speculated about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.
The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club 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 Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
