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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 the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, Amorim 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 two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American'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 fitness issues and national team commitments.

Not that the hosts 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 spectacular 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 match, also fired against a post late on.

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest 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 fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: 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 pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim'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 season.

But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced 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 natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

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

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

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

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

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

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

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

However, there is a wider context for the manager 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 overseeing significant progress.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their survival.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.