At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed strike in the second half.
- Cunha equalises just three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since 2001.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line 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 prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing Leeds 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 matter of hours, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's squad.
It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
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 bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
