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Manchester United's disappointing run of form persisted at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period attempt against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted 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 drop zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international 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 United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist 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 natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

His 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 Safety

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

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

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.

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

However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer 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 Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.