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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form 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 struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing Leeds 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 the manager is without several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.

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

Noah Okafor forced a full length 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 Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers 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 season.

But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately 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 big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

His 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 Safety

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

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The task is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.