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The Red Devils' poor run of form 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.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 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 Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing 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 national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed 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 matches, 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team's options.

It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor 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 Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.

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

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

Ever so briefly, 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 the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, 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 FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.