🔗 Share this article

Manchester United's poor run of form continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

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

However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing 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 combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star 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 answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

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

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

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

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

When they suffered a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

The job is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.

What Happens Next?

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 home tie.