Cunha Scores to Secure Man Utd a Share of the Spoils at Elland Road.

Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

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

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.

Not that the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, 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 prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, 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.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.

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 season.

But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

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

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to 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 young striker.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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 expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.

The striker's header that struck the post was an isolated 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, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

However, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight 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 beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.