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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing 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 fitness issues and international duty.

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length 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 his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation 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.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

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

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

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

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 showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming 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 new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

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 instances of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality 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, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.