Cunha Scores to Earn Manchester United a Draw at Elland Road.

Manchester United's disappointing run of form continued at Elland Road, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee directed a first-half attempt against the post for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds 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 international duty.

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

Noah Okafor forced a full length 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 his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs Leeds' 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 the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability 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 suffered disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction 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: A Further Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were moments of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating 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 advanced areas for any length of time.

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

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

However, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke 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 masterminding significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer 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 domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.