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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form 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 been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination 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 diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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 prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on the team'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 experienced poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, 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 underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare 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 the opener.

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

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The job is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle 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 cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.