Key Moments
- Calvert-Lewin sees a early header come back off the upright.
- Aaronson puts the hosts ahead with a low finish in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side extend their longest top-flight undefeated streak since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee directed a first-half attempt against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.
Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate'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 point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations 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 absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.
He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
His failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival
After memorable 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 intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.
The striker's header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, 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.
In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.
The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle 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.
