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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee directed 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.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid 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 the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

Not that the hosts to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

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 finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

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

It's not that the missing pair are the solution 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 attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

His failure to turn home Zirkzee's 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 Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.

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

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

However, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear progress.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.