At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Cunha levels just three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee directed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath advancing home 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 several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.
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 finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.
The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best 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 the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.
He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced 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 three goals in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight 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 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 endured a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now overseeing clear progress.
The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
Leeds 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 Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
