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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

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

At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot 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 the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and international duty.

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, 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 prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

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

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager'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 Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.

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

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

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

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

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

True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile 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 finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

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

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

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant progress.

The job is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.