At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header come back off the post.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second period.
- Cunha levels only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest top-flight unbeaten run since 2001.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and international duty.
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 visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal ruled out 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 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.
The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.
What Happens Next?
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 Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
