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Manchester United's disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician 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 woodwork for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

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

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing Leeds 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 injury and international duty.

Not that the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

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 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 in the dying moments.

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim'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 absence of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

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

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

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

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.

His failure to turn home Zirkzee's 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 Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous 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 Leeds were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

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

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.