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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile 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 Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious 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 six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

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

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With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence 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 season.

But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.

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

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

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.

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

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

True, there were instances of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club 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 overseeing clear improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.