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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period attempt against the post for the confident home team 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 been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth 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 Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

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 struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, 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 short time, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

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

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

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

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

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

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home the 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 home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

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

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

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

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