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Manchester United's disappointing run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing home 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 several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

Not that Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker 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 struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's squad.

It's not that the missing pair are the solution 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 clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling 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 young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

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

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

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling 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 Manchester United.

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 campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.

The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.