Matheus Cunha Strikes to Snatch Manchester United a Share of the Spoils at Elland Road.

Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

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 restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

Not that you would expect 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 spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.

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

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, 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 struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further 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 typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile 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 Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds 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 Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.