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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, 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 short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star 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 United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.

He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

The home 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 clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.

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

Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

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

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

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 FA Cup journey with a home tie.