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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

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

At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home 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 substitute the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.

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 spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points 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: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

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 moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were finding it tough 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 rare win against Manchester United.

However, there is a much bigger picture 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 position.

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

What Happens Next?

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 Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.