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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

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

However, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing 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 combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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

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 finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate'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 Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest 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 the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

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

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

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist 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 operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin 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 nine games without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

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

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

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

The striker's header that struck the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.

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

For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

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

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League 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 beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.