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The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

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

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

However, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee 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 the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

Not that you would expect 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 struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

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 experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief 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 young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

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

The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

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

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.