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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny 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, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination 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 spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, 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 contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

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

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 captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.

It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball 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 preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the expensive 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 new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety

After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight first half.

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

Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke 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 masterminding significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.