Matheus Cunha Scores to Earn Man Utd a Draw at Elland Road.
Match Summary
- Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low effort in the second period.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight unbeaten run 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.
The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds 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 the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop 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: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim'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 experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
However, 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.
In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer 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 FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
