Matheus Cunha Finds the Net to Earn Man Utd a Draw at Leeds.

The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line 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 prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim 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.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United 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 Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post late on.

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best 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 chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach 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 heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

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 limited attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster 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 replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

His failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.

The home 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 struck the post was an rare 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 rare win against their old foes.

However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.