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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

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

With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

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

The Swiss attacker forced a full length 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 impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw extends 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 Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

It's not that the missing pair 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 limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned 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 a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

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

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

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

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.

The job is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.