At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha levels just three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds extend their longest 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 not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later 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 South American's fourth Premier League 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 international duty.
Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting 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 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 games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence 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 disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 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 fervor, but the intimidating 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 dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.
The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.
