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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home 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 through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian'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 Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving 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 struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick 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 Amorim's squad.

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 limited attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

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

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction 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 new signing.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were instances of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

Leeds' 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 struck the post was an rare 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.

Ever so briefly, The home delirious 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 the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The task is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park 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.