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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing home 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.

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 Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team'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 campaign.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence 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 Survival

After memorable 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 pronounced as in other encounters.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced 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 Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

Ever so briefly, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

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

When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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 Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.