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

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

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from substitute 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 mix of fitness issues and national team commitments.

Not that Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance 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 forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team'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 experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately 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 preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.

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

Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear progress.

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

Looking Ahead

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 Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.