At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header ricochet off the post.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed strike in the second period.
- Matheus Cunha responds only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half attempt against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile 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 sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United 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.
Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.
The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, 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: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.
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 disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and assurance 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: Another Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest 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 fixtures.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home delirious 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 speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.
The job is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.
