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Manchester United's poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period attempt against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided 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 the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee'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 extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the absent players are the answer 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 have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch 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 playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the new signing.

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 bit drab affair.

True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.

Leeds' fans were more concerned 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 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.

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

When they endured a poor 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 done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.