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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard 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 match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best 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 short time, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international 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 the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.

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

That leaves Cunha, 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 Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

After memorable 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 hostile edge was not as evident as in other encounters.

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

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

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The job is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club 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 FA Cup journey with a home tie.