At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds continue their best Premier League unbeaten run since 2001.
The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted 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 directed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length 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 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 point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach 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 exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim'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 experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, 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 conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home 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 poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.
The job is not done yet but gradually, 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 FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
