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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

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

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting 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 draw extends Leeds' 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.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to captain 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 absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in 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 arrival as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

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

His failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

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

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

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

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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

What Happens Next?

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