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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points 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, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

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

It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered 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 Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction 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 memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest 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 fixtures.

The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.

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

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

However, there is a much bigger picture 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 significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.