At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second period.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes later.
- Leeds extend their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post late on.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international 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 suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands 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 showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's 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 biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.
The task is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to St James' Park 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 beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
