At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the post.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed finish in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha levels only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's disappointing run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian'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 international duty.
Not that Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post late on.
The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop 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: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations 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 absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety
After thrilling 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 expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin 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, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, 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 speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The task is not done yet but step by step, 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 domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
