At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed strike in the second period.
- Cunha levels just three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.
Not that 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 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 ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on the team's squad.
It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.
The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
Leeds have a Premier League 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 Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
