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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line 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 prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman 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 four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting 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 impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin 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: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

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

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other forwards is having on the team's squad.

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 suffered poor results earlier in the season.

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

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence 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 Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

Leeds 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 league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.