At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header come back off the post.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha responds only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest Premier League unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's poor run of form persisted at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot 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 fitness issues and international duty.
Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post late on.
The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, 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 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 absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence 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: Another Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.
The home 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 Leeds were struggling when a mistake 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.
However, 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 season, many thought about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The task is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
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. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
