At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header come back off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Cunha levels only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue 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 his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money 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 Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin 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 matter of hours, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.
It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He evidently does not have full faith in 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 replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied 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 isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.
The job is not done yet but step by step, the team 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 domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
