Match Summary
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header come back off the post.
- Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a low finish in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing 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 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 diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling 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 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 drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on the team's squad.
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 experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.
His failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
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 struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
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 Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.
The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park 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.
