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Manchester United's disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American'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 you would expect Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, 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 match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin 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 matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the missing pair are the solution 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, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.

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

Ever so briefly, 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 the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear progress.

The task is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.

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. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.