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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

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

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

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing home 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 combination of injury and international duty.

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

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting 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.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw 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 Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: 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 pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to captain 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 answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

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

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

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

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

True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

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

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

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

However, 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 campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

In contrast, 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.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.