At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a low effort in the second half.
- Cunha responds only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best Premier League unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period attempt against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, Amorim 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 a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on the team's options.
It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety
After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now masterminding clear progress.
The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.
