At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a low finish in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha levels just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds 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 several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.
Not that the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United 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 close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the missing pair are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly 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 preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence 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 young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.
The task is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight 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 cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
