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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

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

However, against a team who had two days less to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing home 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 the manager is without four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.

Not that Leeds to care about 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 United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate'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 in the dying moments.

The point prolongs the home side's 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 chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries 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 solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the season.

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

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

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

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

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

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

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.

Ever so briefly, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

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

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. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.