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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 his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

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

However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian'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 fitness issues and international duty.

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, 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 late on.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin 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, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

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

It's not that the missing pair are the answer 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 few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.

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

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other encounters.

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

The striker's header that struck the post was an isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their survival.

Looking Ahead

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