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

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

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

However, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor 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 struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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 visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

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

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

It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance 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: 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 expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other encounters.

The home fans were more concerned 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 defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

Nevertheless, 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 campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.

The task is not completed 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 FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.