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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had two days less to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United 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.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

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

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.

It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

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

On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

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

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

Leeds' 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 struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.

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

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and the club to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now masterminding clear progress.

The task is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.