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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork 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 in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.

Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop 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 Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

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

It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling 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 thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough 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 the manager and the club to deal with.

When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear progress.

The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.