Matheus Cunha Scores to Earn Manchester United a Draw at Elland Road.
Key Moments
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin watches a early header come back off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha levels only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian'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 national team commitments.
Not that the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United 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.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on the team's options.
It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.
He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.
Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin 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 the opener.
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 Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.
The job is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
