At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a low finish in the second half.
- Cunha levels only three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's disappointing run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination 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 diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's 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 Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick 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 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 disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
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 confidence and assurance 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 Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.
The home fans were more preoccupied 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 isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.
The task is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
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. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
