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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath rushing 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 several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

Not that the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate'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 prolongs Leeds' 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle 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 skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.

He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

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

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

The striker's 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 defensive error opened the door for the opener.

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

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds 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 significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.