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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing 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 Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

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 experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling 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 young striker.

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 comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were instances of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped 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 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 much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight 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.