Jamie Vardy rolled the ball into the Manchester United net to huge cheers and about 10 minutes later, amid swirling rain, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s name echoed around this stadium. The only problem for Leicester was Vardy sent the ball over the line during a break in play while Ayden Heaven, forced off early in the second half, received treatment, and it was the United supporters singing about Van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman took charge of United in the reverse fixture in November, signing off from his spell in interim charge with a 3-0 victory, but this time he was on the receiving end of the same scoreline.
That four-match unbeaten run with United must feel halcyonic for Van Nistelrooy, who has now lost 13 of his past 14 league matches. The numbers make grisly reading: Leicester have not scored here since early December and after firing blanks in this defeat they recorded unwanted history, becoming the first Premier League team to lose seven home matches in a row without scoring. Leicester are nine points adrift of 17th-placed Wolves and have a vastly inferior goal difference.
Things do not get any easier either, with a trip to Manchester City the first of their next four games against teams in the top seven. “It’s about the mathematical possibility that is there and as long as that is the case we are professionals and we keep doing our jobs,” Van Nistelrooy said, adopting a diplomatic tone. “We won’t give up until it’s mathematically impossible.”
The night descended into a procession for United when Alejandro Garnacho doubled United’s advantage midway through the second half, building on Rasmus Højlund’s first goal for 22 hours and 19 minutes.
It was an imperfect United performance but, frankly, it did not matter against opposition silently sliding towards relegation. Bruno Fernandes completed the scoring with a superb first-time finish from the edge of the box, capping a good week in which United advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals.
It would be kind to refer to this as a slow-burner, a distinctly low-quality contest befitting teams who began in 15th and 19th. There was a general shoddiness, a theme that has stalked both sides this season: overcooked passes, ballooned crosses, unforced errors aplenty. Christian Eriksen, one of three players promoted to United’s starting lineup, registered the visitors’ first effort of note, cracking a first-time effort against a post after a short-corner routine, the Denmark midfielder whipping a right-foot shot at goal from the edge of the 18-yard box after exchanging passes with Fernandes.
United took the lead approaching the half-hour, the relief tangible as Højlund buried a shot across goal. Fernandes was invariably involved in the buildup. The Portuguese whittled a pass through for Højlund, who chested the ball after Boubakary Soumaré missed his attempted clearance. Wout Faes hesitated to pressure the striker and then reneged altogether. Højlund then got the ball out of his feet and after dawdling briefly – no wonder given his barren run – he sent his right-foot effort past an exposed Mads Hermansen.
Just like that, after 21 matches without finding the net, Højlund handed United the lead. “It is really important for him,” said United’s head coach, Ruben Amorim. “He scored a very good goal and I think he deserved it more than anybody.”
Still, it spoke volumes that Heaven, on his first Premier League start and fifth senior appearance, was one of United’s standout performers. The 18-year-old, signed from Arsenal on 1 February, did well to recover the ball when Patson Daka was released on goal, though Daka’s failure to seize the opportunity was also indicative of a struggling player.
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Heaven made a smart block when Daka was presented with a chance to strike inside the box before the interval and the centre-back then got himself in the way of Bilal El Khannouss’s effort. Manuel Ugarte also made a crucial intervention to stop Wilfred Ndidi reaching a Victor Kristiansen cross.
Heaven was carried off five minutes into the second half, the teenager injuring himself extinguishing a Leicester attack. Soumaré wriggled clear of a wreckage on halfway, played in Vardy inside the left channel and the Leicester captain sent the ball into the box. Daka was lurking at the back post but Heaven, who was replaced by Toby Collyer, made life difficult and Daka skewed a shot wide. United thought they had a second when Højlund slipped in Garnacho, who cut inside Luke Thomas and thrashed a shot into the far corner. Garnacho and Højlund sat on the advertising hoardings in celebration, but prematurely. Garnacho was offside.
The Argentinian would return to the hoardings 10 minutes later, after swivelling on to Fernandes’s pass and blasting a first-time effort in at Hermansen’s near post. Højlund hugged Garnacho and every outfield player joined the party. Fernandes made it game, set and match in the final minute of normal time. United fans rattled through the back catalogue of chants about famous names: Rooney, Solskjær, Cole and Van Nistelrooy. But it is in Amorim whom they trust, evidenced by the away fans serenading him, too, throughout. “It’s strange,” Amorim smiled. “I know we are so far away from what they expect and deserve.”
Source: theguardian.com
