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The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

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

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later 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 Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting 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 impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop 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: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

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

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

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

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.

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 congested first half.

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

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

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

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.