Cunha Strikes to Secure Manchester United a Point at Elland Road.
At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the upright.
- Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Matheus Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight undefeated streak 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 his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half attempt against the post 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 failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents 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 rushing home 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 mix of injury and international duty.
Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker 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 Zirkzee'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 extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.
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 suffered poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance 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 Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced 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 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 coveted win against their old foes.
However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The job is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
