At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha equalises only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth goal since his high-profile 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.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, 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, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the missing pair 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 clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
His failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games 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 fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The striker's header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now overseeing significant progress.
The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club 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 Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
