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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing home 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and international duty.

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 visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, 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 point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

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 evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

After memorable 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 expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

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

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

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

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

However, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.