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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

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

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 struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin 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 matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened 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, the boss has few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

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

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.

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 the manager and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club 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 Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.