Match Summary
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds extend their longest Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee directed a first-half attempt 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 bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth 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 injury and national team commitments.
Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United 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 impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the visitors 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 Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence 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, the boss has few attacking options.
He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch 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 playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park 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 home tie.
