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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, 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.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath advancing Leeds 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 Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post late on.

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

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

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

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's 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 previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

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

Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

The striker's header that struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.

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

For a short moment, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club 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 league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.