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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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

The Swiss attacker forced a diving 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 Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

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

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.

It's not that the missing pair are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

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 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 new signing.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained 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 congested first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.

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

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

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant progress.

The job is not completed yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.

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. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.