Cunha Strikes to Snatch Man Utd a Share of the Spoils at Elland Road.
At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a low strike in the second period.
- Cunha equalises just three minutes later.
- Leeds extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the post for the confident hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money 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 Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United 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 close range.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.
The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on the team's squad.
It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming 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: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.
The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
