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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

Not that the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation 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: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.

It's not that the missing pair are the answer 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 clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this showing, 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 nine games without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

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 rare moment of threat in a congested first half.

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

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

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.