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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his big-money 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 you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

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

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.

The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

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

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.

It's not that the missing pair are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

His failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

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

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

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The job is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.