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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

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

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and guided a finish underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager 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 full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, 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 blasted against a post late on.

The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

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

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence 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 experienced poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately 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 Sesko.

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

His failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run 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 home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

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

The striker's header that struck the post was an isolated 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.

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, 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 season, many thought about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.

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. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.