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

The Everton loanee headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.

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

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to prepare, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath rushing home 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 care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, 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 short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

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

Current injuries to skipper 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 absent players are the answer to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.

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

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered 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 operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

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

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Safety

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

True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.

The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability 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 Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.

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

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds 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 overseeing clear improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club 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 beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.