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Manchester United's disappointing run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League 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 the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

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 impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

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 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 answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

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

He clearly does not trust youngster 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 substitute.

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

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

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

The striker's header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight 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 ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

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 thought about the manager's position.

In contrast, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.