Key Moments
- Calvert-Lewin watches a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed finish in the second half.
- Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best Premier League undefeated streak since 2001.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular 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 close range.
Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.
The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers 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 experienced poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
