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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

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

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American'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 mix of injury and national team commitments.

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

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, 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 in the dying moments.

The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

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

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven 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 unavailability of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

The home 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 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 ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

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 thought about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.