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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

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.

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian'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 combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United 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 ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.

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

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance 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 knockout phase, the United coach 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 heightened the impact the absence 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 experienced poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival 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 evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in advanced 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 the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

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

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.

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

What Happens Next?

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 Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.