Manchester United were cool and clinical as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Leicester City in their Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon.
In what was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s final game in charge as interim manager, Man United looked determined to impress in front of the Old Trafford crowd, dominating against their recently-promoted opponents.
From the first whistle, winger Amad Diallo showed a flaming desire to prove himself, especially after being excluded from the starting lineup in the previous league match against Chelsea last weekend.
The winger showed some silky skills in the opening minutes, weaving past two defenders in the final third before being fouled. Even though he was stopped in his tracks, it would take much longer for Amad to leave a lasting impact on the match.
Following a throw-in from Noussair Mazraoui, Amad received a pass from Bruno Fernandes. With a breathtaking backheel, he played the ball back to Fernandes, who scored from distance to hand United a 17th-minute lead.
His shining moment aside, Amad proved to be a constant thorn in Leicester’s side, spurring countless attacking build-ups for United.
Amad completed five of his six attempted dribbles, proving almost impossible to dispossess. What’s more, he won nine of his 13 ground duels while coming off best in both of his aerial battles.
His passing was one of the few areas of his gameplay that left a little to be desired. With 19 of 26 passes reaching their target, Amad had a passing accuracy of 73%.
Still, he attempted no crosses and failed to complete his only long ball. While Amad would do well to attempt more long passes, this could also be down to his team’s playing style and how he is being instructed to play by the coaching staff.
Amad appeared eager to score, bursting into the final third constantly and taking four shots in total.
One shot was on target, another was blocked, and the remaining two shots were off the mark.
Despite being an attacking player, Amad put in a large effort to support his defenders when the visitors were on the counter. He made two tackles and performed an interception as well as a clearance.
Passing aside, it was a highly impressive and energetic performance from Amad. He showed the desire and aggression required to not only rock the opposition but hand United the edge they required to seal a decisive victory.
(Stats via Sofascore)
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
