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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, 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 a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds 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 mix of injury 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 full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

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 season.

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

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

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction 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 young striker.

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 comparatively subdued affair.

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

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

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 mistake opened the door for the opener.

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

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

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving 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. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.