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Manchester United's poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.

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

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth 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 you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest 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 chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.

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

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

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance 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 Survival

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

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

The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous 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 struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.

For a short moment, The home delirious 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 endured a poor run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's future.

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant progress.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight 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 entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.