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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

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

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

However, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League 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 national team commitments.

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

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

It's not that the absent players 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 evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

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

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

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

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

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.

For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.

The task is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.