🔗 Share this article

The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing 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 several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular 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 close range.

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

The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift 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 absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

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

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing 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 Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.