At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed strike in the second half.
- Cunha equalises just three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim 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 exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.
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 campaign.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the 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 natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The job is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club 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 FA Cup journey with a home tie.
