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Manchester United's poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and international duty.

Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious 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 close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's 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 previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other encounters.

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

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

It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

Ever so briefly, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task 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 FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.