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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

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

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

However, against opponents who had less time to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American'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 international duty.

Not that the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, 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 in the dying moments.

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team'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 attacking options.

He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance 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 Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.

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

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

However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The task is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League 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 home tie.