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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form persisted at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the post 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 been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing home 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point extends the home side's 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, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries 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 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 campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered 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 recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

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

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling 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.

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear progress.

The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.