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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

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

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination 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 spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

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

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

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

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

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

His failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile 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 the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.

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

However, 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 campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

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