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Manchester United's disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing 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 injury and international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts 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 audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The draw prolongs 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 visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

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

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

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist 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 playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to 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 United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other encounters.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.

For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.