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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

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

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing home 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

Not that the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Existing 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 solution to all of the club'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 attacking options.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating 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.

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were instances of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

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

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

For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

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

When they suffered 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 closer to securing their survival.

What Happens Next?

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 league trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.