At a Glance
Manchester United's poor run of form continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half attempt against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to 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 injury and national team commitments.
Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of Manchester United 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 his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.
The draw 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 matter of hours, squandered.
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.
Existing 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 missing pair are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the season.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, 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 confidence and assurance in front of goal.
His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other encounters.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.
It still felt as though the hosts 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 coveted win against their old foes.
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 campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now masterminding clear progress.
The job is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their survival.
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 Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
