Cunha Strikes to Snatch Manchester United a Share of the Spoils at Leeds.

The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against their old rivals.

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

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced 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 high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts to care about that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee'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 prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

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

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened 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 the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that suffered poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has limited alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to 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 young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety

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

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

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

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 finding it tough when a mistake opened the door for the opener.

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

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.