Cunha Strikes to Snatch Man Utd a Point at Elland Road.

The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from substitute the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian'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 the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United 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 impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The point 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 opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards 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 limited alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

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

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

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

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

Leeds' 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 clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a tight first half.

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

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The task is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds 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.