Rasmus Højlund and Alejandro Garnacho both ended long goal droughts as Manchester United triumphed 3-0 over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Højlund opened the scoring for United in the first half, netting his first goal in 22 games, while Garnacho doubled their lead midway through the second half with his own long-awaited strike after 25 games without finding the net. Bruno Fernandes added a third late on to seal the victory for Ruben Amorim’s side.
For Leicester’s manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had overseen United’s defeat to Leicester earlier in the season, this was a crushing blow. His Leicester team became the first in English top-flight history to suffer seven consecutive home losses without scoring in any of them. With the team now nine points adrift of safety, their hopes of staying in the Premier League seem increasingly slim.
On the other hand, United can take pride in a rejuvenated performance, having risen two spots above Tottenham and Everton into 13th place. After a strong week, which saw them deliver one of their best performances of the season to defeat Real Sociedad on Thursday, they carried that momentum into this match. Christian Eriksen was unlucky not to open the scoring earlier, hitting the post with a brilliant angled shot before Højlund made his breakthrough.
The Danish striker, who had been enduring a miserable goal drought dating back to last year, displayed remarkable composure when set up by Fernandes. He slotted the ball low into the far corner with his weaker right foot, visibly relieved as he celebrated his first goal since his arrival at United.
For Leicester, the task of overcoming a one-goal deficit was daunting, especially given they hadn’t scored in front of their own fans in the Premier League for over three months. Patson Daka had a chance to equalize but was denied by an excellent double block from United’s Ayden Heaven. Unfortunately for Heaven, making his first Premier League start, his match was cut short due to what appeared to be a serious injury. This led to a tactical reshuffle, with Toby Collyer moved to wing-back and Harry Amass coming on for his debut.
While Amorim’s squad remains somewhat thin, the team has shown more consistency in recent weeks. Their only loss in the last seven games came via a penalty shootout defeat to Fulham, offering a glimmer of hope for the future. Leicester, in stark contrast, would no doubt love to have a similar sense of optimism to cling to.
