At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed strike in the second period.
- Matheus Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's disappointing run of form 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 Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, 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 a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds 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 the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious 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 ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.
The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards 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 season.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling 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 young striker.
Leeds United Breakdown: 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 expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare 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 Aaronson.
Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's position.
In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
