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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.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the post for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

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

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money 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 Leeds 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 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 match, also fired against a post late on.

The draw prolongs 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated 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 campaign.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction 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 United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety

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

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

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

The striker's 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 defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

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

However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

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 Old Trafford tie.