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The Red Devils' disappointing run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

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

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath advancing 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 international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts 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 finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

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

The draw extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, 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 short time, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

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

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

It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

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

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

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

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

After memorable 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 typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated 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.

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 the manager and the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

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

What Happens Next?

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 Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.