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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

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

However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from substitute the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League 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 diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers 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 disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

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

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

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

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

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

The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for Aaronson.

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight 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 Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.