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The Red Devils' poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

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

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

However, against a team who had less time to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

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

The Swiss attacker 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 close range.

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

The point extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

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

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened 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 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 trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

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

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

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

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

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.

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

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

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA 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.