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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League 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 national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, 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 contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international 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 attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence 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 Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

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 instances of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat 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.

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant progress.

The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.