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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling 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 draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.

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 suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

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

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

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

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 typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.

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

The striker's header that struck 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 mistake opened the door for the opener.

For a short moment, Leeds' 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 difficult run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club 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 Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.