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The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath rushing home 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

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

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 experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately 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 showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence 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 young striker.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were instances of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability 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 tight first half.

It still felt as though the hosts 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 their old foes.

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.