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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

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

However, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth 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 fitness issues and international duty.

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

The Swiss attacker 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 impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post late on.

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, 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 short time, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire 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 Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.

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

But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly 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 expensive frontman looks similar to 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 biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

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

The striker's header that clipped 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 ecstatic 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 endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear progress.

The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club 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 cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.