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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period attempt against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

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

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, 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 match, also blasted against a post late on.

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

Current 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 squad.

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 suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

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

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.

It still felt as though the hosts 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 coveted win against their old foes.

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park 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.