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

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath advancing 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 the manager is without several 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 lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point 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 Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

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 alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless, there is a wider context 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.

Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

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

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club 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 entering their cup journey with a home tie.