Key Moments
- Calvert-Lewin sees a early header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second period.
- Cunha responds only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest Premier League undefeated streak since 2001.
Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, 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-period effort against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish 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 the manager 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.
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 finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.
The point prolongs the home side's 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 matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations 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 attackers 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 disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.
He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside 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 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 fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to securing their survival.
What Happens Next?
Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
