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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the post for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

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

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

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

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, 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 short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.

It's not that the missing pair are the solution 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 attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence 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 Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated 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 Aaronson.

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

However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The job is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.