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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form 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 bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath advancing 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 several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.

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

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.

The draw extends 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 matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle 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 England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

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

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

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 new signing.

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

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

The striker's header that clipped 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 Aaronson.

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

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.