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Manchester United's poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period attempt against the post for the confident 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 failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, 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 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 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.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards 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 have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered 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 natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance 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 Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

After thrilling victories in their previous 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 evident as in previous encounters.

The home 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 quality in a tight first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling 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 their old foes.

However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

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

What Happens Next?

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. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.