At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low finish in the second half.
- Cunha levels just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach 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-half effort against the post for the confident home team 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, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination 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 visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international 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 answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.
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 Netherlands forward provided the assist for the 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 Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's 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 previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The striker's 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 defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.
The job is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight 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 Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
