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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

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

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.

Not that Leeds to care about 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 visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

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

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

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

It's not that the absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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

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

Sesko's 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 Safety

After memorable victories in their previous 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 pronounced as in previous fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated moment of threat 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, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.