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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled 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 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 national team commitments.

Not that you would expect Leeds 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 spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

Cunha, 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 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

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

Current injuries to skipper 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 missing pair are the answer 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 few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 young striker.

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

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

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

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

The striker's 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.

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic 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 Leeds to deal with.

When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds 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 Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.