- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 392,127
- Reaction score
- 43
You must be registered for see images attach
Manchester United recorded their first back-to-back Premier League victories of the season - Getty Images/Carl Recine
Manchester United’s supporters noisily insist Ruben Amorim will bring the glory days again and, finally, it does appear that this giant oil tanker is creaking into life.
The chant for Amorim echoed around King Power Stadium for long periods as United won consecutive league games for the first time this season, with Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho both ending their long waits for goals.
There have been so many brief moments of promise in this excruciating period of underachievement, yet Amorim can certainly look ahead with a degree of optimism.
After booking a place in the Europa League quarter-final, where they will face Lyon over two legs next month, United have also extended their unbeaten run to four matches in the domestic campaign.
There was also the welcome sight of Hojlund producing a ruthless finish, with his first goal since December 12 coming in front of Ruud van Nistelrooy, one of United’s legendary goalscorers of the Premier League era.
Amorim said: “It’s really important for Rasmus and he is doing the right things. It was a difficult goal with difficult control with his right foot. It’s a shame we have to stop for the national teams.
“The performances are improving and I am starting to see different things in the team. It’s a good sign for us and we are now going to use this window to rest and recover, that will be good for us. It was clear today that my players are at the limit.”
The only disappointment for United was a worrying injury for promising defender Ayden Heaven, who was taken off on a stretcher early in the second half.
While Amorim can sense signs of recovery in the grand rebuilding job, Van Nistelrooy is enduring a nightmare.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ruud van Nistelrooy looks set to take Leicester back into the second tier - Getty Images
Leicester have now lost 13 of the last 14 Premier League matches and are hurtling inexorably towards the Championship.
To pile on the misery, they have also become the first club in English top-flight history to lose seven home matches in a row without scoring.
Van Nistelrooy has not seen one of his players score here since December 8, which puts Hojlund’s own personal drought into some context.
Leicester remain nine points adrift of safety. “We can’t and we won’t give up until the mathematics say otherwise,” said their manager.
“We have to keep going and we want to show that we can score goals. It is not falling our way at the moment, that is clear.”
It is difficult not to feel some sympathy for Van Nistelrooy. He inherited an unbalanced, struggling squad and a club gripped in a malaise with a mutinous mood among the fanbase.
Frustration is still lingering over the relegation season in 2023, with many fans claiming that they could see the warning signs over the club’s collapse long before it happened.
The absence of a public review into that relegation further irritated supporters, while there have been fierce debates since over other issues such as season ticket prices.
A banner was unfurled early on with the words “From dogs of war to doggy daycare”: a reference to centre-back Jannik Vestergaard who was recently given permission to bring his dog to the training ground.
While the presence of the dog has polarised opinion, it was more a damning indictment of the culture in the dressing room where players are seemingly unchallenged.
Results have only cranked up the tension and Leicester were again very underwhelming here.
United fired an early warning when Christian Eriksen crashed a shot against the post from just outside the penalty area in the 24th minute.
Four minutes later they were ahead, after a clinical finish from Hojlund, the type of which has been too rarely seen.
Bruno Fernandes found the forward in space and Hojlund advanced towards the area before driving his shot across Mads Hermansen into the corner.
What must Van Nistelrooy have been thinking?
It was another exhibit of abysmal defending from Leicester, with Conor Coady surrendering possession, Boubakary Soumaré failing to cut out Fernandes’s pass and Wout Faes inexplicably standing off Hojlund.
Even the boos at half-time from Leicester’s fans were half-hearted. Apathy is taking over.
United had been in relative control but their evening did sustain a setback when Heaven was taken off early in the second half. The defender was arguably United’s best performer but appeared to roll his ankle and was in clear discomfort.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ayden Heaven was unable to continue - Getty Images
Heaven’s departure did not unsettle United though, and Garnacho was denied the second goal after being adjudged offside by a VAR review.
Van Nistelrooy introduced substitute Facundo Buonanotte in the 64th minute in a bid to give his team some desperately needed impetus. The Brighton loanee’s lack of starts under the new manager continues to bewilder supporters.
Yet it is Leicester’s defence which is the greater concern and in the 68th minute they were at fault again as United increased their lead.
This time there were no doubts over Garnacho’s goal, with the winger given far too much space to hook the ball into the corner, beating Hermansen at his near post. It was his first goal in 25 games, an even longer stretch than Hojlund.
Fernandes produced the final gloss with another emphatic finish a minute from the end.
This certainly felt like the end for Leicester. It does not promise to get any easier either, with games against Manchester City and Newcastle United after the international break.
09:39 PM GMT
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s reaction
09:32 PM GMT
Ruben Amorim’s verdict
09:17 PM GMT
Top man
You must be registered for see images attach
Bruno Fernandes celebrates his goal. - Alex Livesey /Getty Images
09:16 PM GMT
Bruno Fernandes’s reaction
08:56 PM GMT
FT: Leicester 0 Man Utd 3
Manchester United’s mini-revival continues with a comfortable win at the King Power Stadium. Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho ended their goal droughts before Bruno Fernandes continued his outstanding form with a storming finish.
It’s a bittersweet victory for United, however. After a highly impressive first-half performance, the teenage defender Ayden Heaven was stretchered off shortly after the break with what looked a very serious injury.
Leicester, unsurprisingly, looked bereft of confidence and have set an unwelcome record: they are the first side in English top-flight history to lose seven consecutive home games without scoring.
08:53 PM GMT
90+7 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 3
Good save by Onana! Vardy, put through on goal by Winks, smashes a shot is that is blocked by the outstretched arm of Onana. That’s a really good reaction save.
08:51 PM GMT
90+4 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 3
You must be registered for see images attach
Diogo Dalot celebrates Man Utd’s third goal. - ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP
08:49 PM GMT
90+1 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 3
There will be eight minutes of added time because of the injury to Ayden Heaven. Leicester have brought on Jordan Ayew for Bilal El Khannouss.
08:47 PM GMT
Goal!
90 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 3 (Fernandes) Bruno Fernandes caps things off with yet another stunning goal. Dalot broke down the right and arrowed a low cross back towards Fernandes, lurking with enormous intent in the D. He watched the ball onto his right foot and whipped a glorious first-time shot into the far corner. Fernandes’s technique, yet again, was flawless. His one-touch finishing from 15-20 yards is so good.
08:43 PM GMT
88 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Zirkzee is back on his feet. He’s holding his back but seems okay to continue.
08:43 PM GMT
87 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Faes makes a back for Zirkzee, who lands awkwardly and stays down. There’s a break in play while he receives treatment.
08:41 PM GMT
85 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Man Utd substitution The 17-year-old Chido Obi comes on for Rasmus Hojlund, who ended his goal drought with a superb first-half finish.
08:39 PM GMT
83 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Double substitution for Leicester Stephy Mavididi and Kasey McAteer replace James Justin and Victor Kristiansen.
08:39 PM GMT
82 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
A replay of Garnacho’s goal suggests the pass may have been made by Jamie Vardy rather than Bruno Fernandes. They were both competing for a loose ball on the edge of the area.
08:36 PM GMT
80 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
You must be registered for see images attach
Ruben Amorim gives instructions from the sidelines. - Martin Rickett/PA
08:36 PM GMT
79 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Casemiro’s long-range shot is blocked by Coady. A Leicester goal would change the mood, but right now this feels like a done deal.
08:33 PM GMT
77 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Ndidi overruns the ball, catches De Ligt on the ankle and is booked.
08:32 PM GMT
75 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Chance for Leicester! Vardy gets away down the left and squares an inviting ball to Buonanotte, whose shot is superbly blocked by the sliding De Ligt.
08:28 PM GMT
71 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
08:26 PM GMT
69 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2
Triple substitution for Man Utd Casemiro, Joshua Zirkzee and Harry Amass - a talented young wing-back who is making his league debut - replace Manuel Ugarte, Christian Eriksen and Alejandro Garnacho.
You must be registered for see images attach
Alejandro Garnacho celebrates his goal. - Martin Rickett/PA
08:24 PM GMT
Goal!
67 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 2 (Garnacho) This time Alejandro Garnacho can celebrate for real. Fernandes, on the edge of the area, poked a loose ball towards Garnacho, whose fast shot on the turn went through the left hand of Hermansen at the near post. I think Garnacho took him by surprise with the suddenness of the shot. It’s his first goal since November.
08:21 PM GMT
65 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Double substitution for Leicester Harry WInks and Facundo Buonanotte replace Boubakaray Soumare and Patson Daka.
08:21 PM GMT
64 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
A replay of Garnacho’s disallowed goal shows that the flag didn’t go up for a good 10 seconds after the ball hit the back of the net. A bit odd but it was the correct decision.
08:19 PM GMT
62 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
After a corner from Eriksen is only half cleared, Garnacho’s snapshot from the edge of the area is held to hs right by the diving Hermansen.
08:14 PM GMT
Disallowed goal!
57 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1 Alejandro Garnacho finishes confidently from Hojlund’s pass and is halfway through his celebration when he realises the flag has gone up for offside. It’s very tight but he was just off.
You must be registered for see images attach
Alejandro Garnacho celebrates the goal that wasn’t. - ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP
08:11 PM GMT
53 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Play resumes after a break of around five minutes. The way the Sky commentators are talking would suggest it’s a very serious injury, almost certainly season-ending and possibly worse.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ayden Heaven is stretchered off. - Martin Rickett/PA
08:08 PM GMT
51 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Man Utd substitution Toby Collyer replaces poor Ayden Heaven. Collyer normally plays in midfield so this will mean a defensive reshuffle: Mazraoui to left centre-back, Collyer to right wing-back.
08:06 PM GMT
50 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Heaven to be stretchered off This is so sad. The week of Ayden Heaven’s life has ended with him suffering a nasty ankle injury - so bad, apparently, that Sky Sports aren’t showing any replays.
A stretcher is being carried round the touchline.
08:05 PM GMT
48 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
A promising attack from Leicester. Soumare finds Vardy on the left side of the area; he angles a low cross that Daka meets beyond the far post. He doesn’t make proper contact, under pressure from Heaven, and screws well wide.
Daka got in an accidental tangle of legs with Heaven, who is down and looks in a fair bit of pain.
08:02 PM GMT
46 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Leicester get the second half under way.
07:51 PM GMT
Half-time verdict
You must be registered for see images attach
Ruud van Nistelrooy watches on during another frustrating first half. - Ash Donelon/Manchester United
07:47 PM GMT
HT: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Manchester United lead through a drought-ending goal from Rasmus Hojlund, finished clinically from Bruno Fernandes’s lofted pass. Christian Eriksen had earlier hit the post with a spectacular effort, and for most of the half United were on top. Leicester had a good spell as half-time approached, with the impressive youngster Ayden Heaven making an important block.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ayden Heaven impressed in the Man Utd defence. - Martin Rickett/PA
07:44 PM GMT
44 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Chance for Leicester A loose ball breaks for Daka on the edge of the area. His shot on the turn is well blocked by Heaven, as is El Khannouss’s follow-up.
07:41 PM GMT
41 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
The impressive Heaven is fouled 30 yards from goal on the left. Eriksen’s free-kick is half cleared to Fernandes, who blasts over from 25 yards.
07:38 PM GMT
38 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
Excellent defending from Ugarte, who goes through the gears to get back and beat Ndidi to Kristiansen’s cross from the left. Without that intervention, Ndidi would have had an excellent chance.
07:34 PM GMT
33 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
El Khannouss is booked for a lunge at Mazraoui.
07:33 PM GMT
32 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
You must be registered for see images attach
Ayden Heaven has been impressive. - ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP
07:31 PM GMT
30 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1
You must be registered for see images attach
Rasmus Hojlund drives Man Utd in front. - Michael Regan/Getty Images
07:28 PM GMT
Goal!
28 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 1 (Hojlund) Rasmus Hojlund ends his goal drought with a clinical finish! It was made inevitably by Fernandes, who saw Hojlund make a good off-the-ball run and flipped a typical pass over the Leicester defence. Hojlund moved into the area, away from the covering Faes, and drove decisively into the far corner with his right foot. It’s his first goal of 2025.
07:27 PM GMT
26 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Fine defending by Heaven Daka gets the wrong side of the last man Heaven, who stretches to make a brilliantly judged tackle. Had he got that wrong he would probably have been off.
07:24 PM GMT
23 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Eriksen hits the post! What a magnificent effort. He took the corner short to Fernandes, got it back on the left corner of the area and curled a booming shot across goal that beat Hermansen and clattered off the inside of the post.
There’s an outside chance it was a cross gone wrong but we know Eriksen has the imagination and technique to pull something like that off.
07:23 PM GMT
23 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Fernandes moves onto a defensive header, 25 yards out, and cracks a sweet volley that is blocked. Moments later Mazraoui’s lovely cross is turned behind for a corner by Justin.
07:20 PM GMT
20 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
07:19 PM GMT
19 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Eriksen’s corner is half cleared to Garnacho, whose shot from 22 yards is comfortably saved by the stooping Hermansen. That’s Man Utd’s first effort on target.
07:18 PM GMT
17 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Coady’s ball forward is misread by Lindelof, who allows it to bounce over his head and through towards Vardy. Lindelof is rescued by Onana, who comes out of his area to clear.
You must be registered for see images attach
Andre Onana plays sweeper-keeper to deny Jamie Vardy. - Jason Cairnduff/Action Images via Reuters
07:15 PM GMT
16 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
The teenager Ayden Heaven, making his full Premier League debut for Man Utd, has started solidly in defence.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ayden Heaven gets on the ball. - ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP
07:13 PM GMT
14 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Bruno Fernandes’s cross brushes the head of Faes and reaches Dalot beyond the far post. He tries to cushion a volley back to the unmarked Eriksen but gets it wrong.
07:11 PM GMT
11 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Ugarte, who has made a lively start in midfield, curls over the bar from 25 yards.
07:07 PM GMT
7 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
07:07 PM GMT
6 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Man Utd play on despite Daka being down on the edge of the area. Eriksen’s cross is headed on by Hojlund and hits Garnacho in an offside position. I’m pretty sure the header was going wide anyway.
07:05 PM GMT
4 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Ndidi slips the ball through to Vardy, who pokes an early shot towards goal before Lindelof can get across. Onana pushes it round the near post, an important but essentially comfortable save.
07:03 PM GMT
3 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
At the risk of stating the offensively obvious, the first thing Leicester need to do is score. Their last goal at home in the Premier League was Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s injury-time equaliser against Brighton on 8 December.
You must be registered for see images attach
Viktor Kristiansen challenges Noussair Mazraoui. - Chris Radburn/Reuters
07:01 PM GMT
1 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Dalot’s long throw bounces towards Hojlund, who hooks a speculative shot wide of the near post.
07:00 PM GMT
1 min: Leicester 0 Man Utd 0
Manchester United kick off from right to left as we watch. Both teams are in their home strips.
06:52 PM GMT
Do you remember the fourth time?
Manchester United have already beaten Leicester three times this season, in the League Cup, Premier League and FA Cup. Ruud van Nistelrooy was United’s caretaker manager for the first two meetings.
06:45 PM GMT
Onana starts despite injury scare
By Mike McGrath at King Power Stadium
You must be registered for see images attach
Andre Onana was a doubt for tonight’s game. - Ash Donelon/ Manchester United
06:30 PM GMT
Brilliant Newcastle win Carabao Cup to end trophy drought
Eddie Howe’s team have ended the long wait for a trophy with a thrilling, deserved 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
Join Will Conroy for all the reaction...
06:17 PM GMT
Man Utd’s main man
You must be registered for see images attach
Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hat-trick against Real Sociedad on Thursday, arrives at the King Power Stadium. - Ash Donelon/Manchester United
06:15 PM GMT
Ratcliffe: I’ll leave United if I receive as much abuse as the Glazers
Read more...
05:52 PM GMT
Manchester United team news
Ayden Heaven, the teenager defender who was so impressive against Real Sociedad, makes his full league debut. There are three changes from Thursday’s game: Victor Lindelof replaces the suspended Patrick Dorgu, while Manuel Ugarte and Christian Eriksen come in for Casemiro and Joshua Zirkzee.
Mason Mount is back on the bench for the first time since he limped off at the Etihad in December.
05:48 PM GMT
Leicester City team news
Ruud van Nistelrooy keeps faith with the XI that was beaten at Stamford Bridge a week ago.
05:46 PM GMT
Good evening
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Leicester v Manchester United in the Premier League. It’s a bit of stretch to say that things are looking up for United, given they are 15th in the table, but they have had a very good week on the field. An honourable draw at home to Arsenal was followed by a stirring 4-1 hammering of Real Sociedad in the Europa League, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a hat-trick to enhance his reputation as the Bryan Robson de nos jours.
“We are better understanding the plan for the games,” said Ruben Amorim of United’s steadily improving performances. “We are giving the team more time to win and to draw the games. We are not suffering one goal and then losing our minds by suffering another goal. We are understanding the moments of the game and also we are understanding better the way we want to play.”
United will be expected to beat Leicester, who have lost 12 of their last 13 Premier League games and look set for an immediate return to the Championship. “Forget the table and face Leicester like we did against Real Sociedad,” said Amorim. “We just need to win and improve our position in the table and the most important thing is to continue this feeling of winning and that we are improving as a team.”
This is close to a must-win game for Leicester, who are nine points off safety with tonight’s match in hand. Their coach Ruud van Nistelrooy switched to a back three for their last game, a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, and plans to stick with the new system.
“We had some very good performances without results. But after Everton, Brentford and West Ham, games where the performances were not as they should have been, when we conceded too many goals, after that, it was time to change something.”
Now they just need to change their results.
Kick off 7pm.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Continue reading...
