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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

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

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League 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 you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, 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 Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, 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, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, 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 exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on the team's squad.

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 campaign.

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

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

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence 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 new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety

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 instances of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.

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

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

However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke 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 job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to achieving their survival.

What Happens Next?

Leeds 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 beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.