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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, 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 attempt against the woodwork for the in-form 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 been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced 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 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 Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, 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 fired against a post in the dying moments.

The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest 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 opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries 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 Amorim's squad.

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 experienced poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has limited attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

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

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction 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: A Further Step Towards Survival

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 moments of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

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

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

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

However, 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 season, many thought about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.

The job is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.