At a Glance
- Calvert-Lewin sees a early header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a low effort in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 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 a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American'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 fitness issues and international duty.
Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.
The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest 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, wasted.
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 pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the absent players 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 few attacking options.
He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's 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 atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous 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 the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.
However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.
The job is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a Premier League 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 Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
