Manchester United extended their unbeaten run to eight games in all competitions with a 3-0 win over Leicester City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Courtesy of Sunday’s result and Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, third-place United moved within three points of second-place City in the Premier League standings.
The Red Devils got off to a shaky start in front of a packed Old Trafford on Sunday. In the eighth minute, Fred relinquished possession in midfield, allowing Harvey Barnes to play a small one-two with Kelechi Iheanacho before trying for goal. David de Gea went big to stop Barnes from walking away to celebrate.
A couple of minutes later, James Maddison put Iheanacho on target. The former City man, however, was unable to control the ball and made a complete mess of his shot, allowing Victor Lindelof to deflect it off goal.
In the 20th minute, Ilheanacho finished off Timothy Castagne’s cross into the United box, directing a fine header into the bottom left corner. De Gea reacted wonderfully to prevent his team from falling behind.
Having been under pressure for over 20 minutes, Manchester United took the lead against the flow of play on 25 minutes. Bruno Fernandes put Marcus Rashford on target with a slide-rule pass, and the Englishman failed to he was wrong to apply the finishing touch.
Manchester United had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 37th minute when Fernandes found Diogo Dalot with a provocative ball across the face of the goal. Surprisingly, the fullback couldn’t make enough contact with the shot and touched it from behind for a goal kick.
The half-time team talk worked wonders for Manchester United as they completely dominated proceedings within 45 seconds. Rashford doubled his tally on 56 minutes, latching on to Fred’s pass and past Danny Ward.
Five minutes after Rashford’s surefire goal, substitute Jadon Sancho ended the game. The England international combined with Fernandes before applying a first-class finisher to get the ball past Ward. Wout Weghorst could have added another goal to United’s tally on 88 minutes, but the Dutch striker couldn’t beat Ward from just yards from goal.
United didn’t do enough in the first half, but fully ran the show in the second 45 to seal a deserved victory. Here are the five players who stood out in their clash against the Foxes on Sunday:
#5 Lisandro Martinez
Like most of his teammates, Lisandro Martínez also failed to find his place in the first half against Leicester. However, he played like a maniac in the 45th second.
Shortly after the second half, he came close to scoring, hitting the crossbar with a headed effort. He also blocked multiple shots, carried the ball forward gracefully and won more than his fair share of duels.
Against Leicester City, Martínez blocked three shots, won seven of 10 games, completed two dribbles and made a key pass.
#4 David de Gea
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea had a busy first half. Had it not been for his heroism, Erik ten Hag’s side might have found themselves in a more difficult position heading into the break. In the eighth minute, he denied Barnes with his dragging left foot. Twelve minutes later, he superbly crossed the goal to save Iheanacho’s header with a strong right hand.
Over the course of the match, De Gea made three saves, with two of the shots coming from inside the box. He also delivered 12 accurate long balls, completed 27 passes with 73% accuracy and made one clearance.
#3 Jadon Sancho
Replaced by an underperforming Alejandro Garnacho at half-time, Jadon Sancho produced a remarkable performance. He created multiple scoring chances, linked up superbly with his teammates and scored an excellent goal to triple United’s lead.
Great performance from the team! Happy to be on the score sheet, but focus shifts to the big week ahead. 🔴 https://t.co/vxOChwkSDP
Sancho passed the ball to Fernandes on the right and followed his through the middle. The Portuguese punctually returned the ball to the Englishman, who applied a first-half shot to beat Ward. Excellent goal aside, Sancho made three key passes, completed two dribbles and created a great chance.
#2 Mark Rashford
Marcus Rashford has become Manchester United’s unabashed talisman in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. On Sunday, he extended his purple patch with two strong goals against the Foxes. In the 25th minute, he did very well to beat Leicester’s offside trap and find the bottom left corner with a measured drive.
In the 56th minute, he doubled his money, got past Castagne and found his way past Ward. Rashford, who has scored 24 goals this season (36 games), also completed two dribbles, won four rushing games and attempted a tackle.
#1 Bruno Fernandez
Bruno Fernandes was at the heart of everything positive for Manchester United on Sunday. In the first half, Fernandes played Rashford with a perfectly weighted delivery for United’s first goal. Again, at 61 ‘, he returned the ball to Sancho, causing his well-used goal. Fernandes could have had a third assist to his name if Dalot had been a bit more clinical with his effort late in the first half.
Good afternoon at Old Trafford and we just have to keep it up. 💪🏻 https://t.co/mUsIdT7bpl
On matchday 24 of the Premier League, Fernandes played a whopping nine key passes and created three great chances. He delivered five accurate crosses, completed four dribbles, won eight rushing games and committed three fouls. The Portuguese superstar was virtually unplayable against Leicester on Sunday.