Manchester United failed to jump into the Premier League's top four, held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United in a fiercely contested encounter at Elland Road this afternoon.
The deadlock was broken in the 62nd minute when American midfielder Brenden Aaronson latched onto a ball played in behind the visiting defence.
The Leeds man beat goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a composed finish into the far corner, sending the home supporters into raptures.
However, the hosts' lead lasted just three minutes as substitute Joshua Zirkzee made an immediate impact after coming on, threading a pass through to Matheus Cunha.
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The Brazilian forward slid the ball past Lucas Perri to restore parity.
The result leaves Ruben Amorim's side with just a single victory from their last four outings, doing little to ease the mounting scrutiny on the Portuguese manager.
Manchester United arrived in Yorkshire already under pressure following a lacklustre goalless draw against bottom-placed Wolves in their previous fixture.
Amorim had appeared visibly frustrated when questioned about the club's January transfer strategy earlier in the week, hinting at tensions behind the scenes.
Manchester United failed to jump into the top four of the Premier League
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The visitors continue to be hampered by significant absences, with captain Bruno Fernandes unavailable and several players away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Amorim claimed this week that he cannot afford to let any further squad members depart during the current window.
Cunha proved the standout performer for the visitors throughout the afternoon, earning the man of the match award.
The Brazilian forward had earlier seen a well-struck volley ruled out for offside in the opening stages, with Benjamin Sesko clearly beyond the last defender in the build-up.
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Cunha proved the standout performer for the visitors throughout the afternoon
|PA
In the closing stages, Cunha came agonisingly close to securing all three points for his side.
Patrick Dorgu drove forward down the right flank before cutting the ball back, and Cunha's curling effort from the edge of the area crashed against the outside of the post.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin had struck the woodwork for Leeds during the first half with a glancing header at the near post.
Daniel Farke's side extended their impressive unbeaten streak to seven matches across all competitions, having previously held champions Liverpool to a draw at Anfield just days earlier.
The result leaves Ruben Amorim's side with just a single victory from their last four outings
|PA
The closing 10 minutes proved frantic, with both teams pressing for a decisive goal.
Joel Piroe, introduced as a substitute, nearly snatched victory for the hosts with a curling effort that sailed narrowly over the crossbar moments after coming on.
Leeds supporters appealed vociferously for a late penalty when the ball struck Cunha's arm as he attempted to block a cross from Gnonto.
Replays showed the ball had deflected off the Brazilian's knee first and the referee waved away the claims.
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