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Manchester United's poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing home 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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 spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

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

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

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

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated 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 disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.

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 assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous 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 threat 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 Manchester United.

However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.

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

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.