At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha levels only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best Premier League undefeated streak since 2001.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and international duty.
Not that the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a diving 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 Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened 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 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 Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the 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 last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.
The task is not done yet but gradually, the team 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 domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
