At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the post.
- Aaronson puts the hosts ahead with a well-placed strike in the second period.
- Matheus Cunha levels just three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest Premier League unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing home 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker 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 struggling to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, 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.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 new signing.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous 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 finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now masterminding clear progress.
The task is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer 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. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
