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The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home 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 through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

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 audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the missing pair are the answer 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 few alternatives in attack.

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

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than 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 a long run without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

After thrilling 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 typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained 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 the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving 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 domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.