At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the post.
- Aaronson puts the hosts ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest top-flight unbeaten run since 2001.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate'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 extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, 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 the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.
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, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, 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 no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile 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.
For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.
The task is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
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 league trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
