At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the post.
- Aaronson puts the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha responds only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American'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 mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, 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 match, 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 a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team'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 suffered poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced 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 the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to achieving their survival.
What Happens Next?
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle 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 FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
