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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the post for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when the manager is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

Not that the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a full length 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 finding it hard to make an impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The point 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, squandered.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated 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 disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

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

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred 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.

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

Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their previous 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 evident as in other fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.

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

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.