Matheus Cunha Finds the Net to Secure Manchester United a Draw at Leeds.
Match Summary
- Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed finish in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee directed a first-period effort against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American'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 combination of injury and international duty.
Not that you would expect Leeds 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 United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The draw 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 Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, 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 unavailability of other attackers is having on the team's squad.
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 suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.
He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief 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 Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety
After memorable 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 previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced 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 defensive error opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
Leeds 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 Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
