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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

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

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath rushing 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 several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard 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 match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest 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 the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers 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 suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

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

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When they endured 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 step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their survival.

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 Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.