Match Summary
- 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 just three minutes later.
- Leeds extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee directed a first-period effort against the post for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money 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.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting 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 his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
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 the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on the team's options.
It's not that the missing pair are the solution 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, Amorim has few attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer 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. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
