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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

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

With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny 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 pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American'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 combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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

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

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop 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, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

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

It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost immediately 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 preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction 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: Another Step Towards Safety

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

True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous fixtures.

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

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

It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough when a defensive error 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.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear progress.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to St James' Park 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 entering their cup journey with a home tie.