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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 damage against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

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

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League 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 injury and national team commitments.

Not that Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

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

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift 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 Amorim's options.

It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

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

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling 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: A Further Step Towards Safety

After memorable 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 expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

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

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

For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, 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 Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.