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Manchester United's disappointing run of form 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.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid 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 Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling 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 contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points 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.

Manchester United Breakdown: 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 swift exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star 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 the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing 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 conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road 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 sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

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

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

Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic 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 suffered a poor run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's position.

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight 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 Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.