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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing 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 Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting 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 match, also blasted against a post late on.

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

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

It's not that the missing pair are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.

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 immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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

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

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Safety

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

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

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

The striker's 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 defensive error opened the door for the opener.

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

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

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.