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Manchester United's poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile 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 you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving 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 struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, 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 games, their longest such streak since 2001, 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: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to skipper 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 experienced 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 Netherlands forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin 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 last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin 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 Aaronson.

Ever so briefly, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

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

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

The task is not done yet but step by step, 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. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.