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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form persisted at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth 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 Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee'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 in the dying moments.

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's squad.

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, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than 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 new signing.

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were instances of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

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 struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.

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

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

Nevertheless, 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 thought about the manager's future.

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The job is not done yet but step by step, 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 FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.