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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, 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 opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with 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 finding it hard to make an impact, 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 blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, 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 matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

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

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

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 season.

But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.

Leeds' 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 struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.

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

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

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.