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

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

At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.

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

It was only the South American'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 international duty.

Not that the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, 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, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

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

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 experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

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

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

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

The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

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

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

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club 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 progress.

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 domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.