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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 effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, 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 slid a finish underneath rushing 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 mix of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

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 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, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

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

Existing 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 missing pair 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 few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

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 struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

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

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

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

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

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

Ever so briefly, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.