VAR spares lacklustre United a worse fate
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford (centre right) trips in the penalty area during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture: Zac Goodwin/PA WireÂ
MANCHESTER United’s fading involvement in the chase for a top-four finish suffered another blow although at least Fred’s equaliser saved them from complete disaster.
The Brazilian struck to earn United a point although there was anxiety for Ralf Rangnick, without Cristiano Ronaldo due to illness, when it appeared that James Maddison had netted a 79th-minute winner.
That effort was ruled out, for a foul in the build-up by Kelechi Iheanacho, although a draw was hardly the result Rangnick had called for when describing his side’s tough task of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Iheanacho handed Leicester a 62nd minute lead with a brilliant diving header from six yards as he threw himself to meet James Maddison’s cross.
That goal followed a Leicester corner which United cleared, only to give the ball away at the halfway line.
And when United equalised just four minutes later, it was also the result of poor defending as Kasper Schmeichel’s aimless boot upfield was quickly turned back by Raphael Varane.
Fred produced a clever flick to set up Bruno Fernandes, whose initial shot was kept out by Schmeichel who pushed the ball directly to Fred to net the rebound.
Harry Maguire, controversially booed by England fans in midweek and similarly abused by supporters of his former club before kick-off at Old Trafford, was soon under pressure, along with the rest of his defence.
Harvey Barnes won man early free-kick, and then headed over from Maddison’s resulting dead ball.
The lively winger also dragged a couple of shots wide from the edge of the United area before Iheanacho wasted a glorious opening, leaning back and blasting over from 16 yards after a flowing Foxes move.
But Barnes, again, missed the best chance of the first half for the visitors, latching onto an inviting Maddison cross but volleying wide from six yards, under pressure from Diogo Dalot,.
United were fortunate to go into the interval level, given the reasonable nature of those chances and the fact that their Ronaldo-less attack failed to carve out many chances.
Bruno, playing as a false nine in place of his countryman, missed the best, after 26 minutes and a mistake by Wesley Fofana.
His pass was intercepted by Fred who immediately set Bruno racing clear but his hurried shot was kept out by Schmeichel’s outstretched leg.
The lack of attacking bite begged the question why Marcus Rashford had been left out of a line-up that did not have a specialist forward and Rangnick responded by throwing him on as a substitute early in trhe second half.
His arrival soon saw goals for each side but Leicester twice came close to regaining the lead after the 71-minute mark.
First, a terrible Jadon Sancho back-pass put Iheanacho through but the Leicester man chipped over from a wide angle, just six yards out.
Then Fofana rose to meet a Maddison free-kick with a powerful header which drew an acrobatic diving save from David de Gea.
De Gea 7; Dalot 6, Varane 6, Maguire 6, Shaw 5 (Telles 45, 5); Fred 8, McTominay 6 (Rashford 54, 6); Sancho 6, Pogba 6 (Matic 74, 6), Elanga 7; Fernandes 7.Â
Lindelof, Jones, Mata, Lingard, Henderson, Wan-Bissaka.
Schmeichel 6; Justin 6, Evans 6 (Amertey 65, 6), Fofana 7, Castagne 6; Tielemans 7, Mendy 6 (Choudhury 90); Maddison 9, Dewsbury-Hall 7, Barnes 7; Iheanacho 7 (Daka 90).Â
Soyuncu, Albrighton, Perez, Amertey, Pereira, Jakupovic, Lookman.
A Marriner 6
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