At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Cunha equalises just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best Premier League undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's poor run of form persisted at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth 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 injury and national team commitments.
Not that Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on the team's options.
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 season.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately 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 big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction 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 memorable 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 expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
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 finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The job is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.
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. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.
