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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

Not that the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length 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 finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim'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 experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than 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 young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

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

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

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

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.

The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to achieving their survival.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.