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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

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

However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

Not that the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United 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 Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

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

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the 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 preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and assurance 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 Survival

After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

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

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

It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

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

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The task is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to achieving their survival.

Looking Ahead

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