At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header ricochet off the post.
- Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed finish in the second half.
- Cunha levels only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident home team 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 bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect the hosts 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 audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The draw prolongs 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 chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the missing pair 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 alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle 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 the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
However, there is a much bigger picture 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 position.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
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 Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
