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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.

Not that you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious 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 ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 matter of hours, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

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

It's not that the missing pair are the solution 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, the boss has limited alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

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

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: 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 instances of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.

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

For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare 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 thought about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.