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Manchester United's disappointing run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian'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 combination of injury and international duty.

Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired 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 a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim'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 poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.

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

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming 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 memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated moment of quality 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.

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

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

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 Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.