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The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

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

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 opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts to care about 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 visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

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

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster 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 replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality 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.

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

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

Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a top-flight 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 Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.