At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Cunha equalises only three minutes afterwards.
- Leeds continue their longest 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 damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder 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 bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor 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.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team'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 experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest 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 other encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability 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 quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club 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 league trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
