Not many would have expected Manchester United to emerge victorious after going a man down against Ipswich Town on Wednesday especially given their recent Premier League form at Old Trafford.
But the Red Devils fought hard and despite going a man and a goal down, they clinched a 3-2 win against Kieran Mckenna’s side which should give a huge confidence boost to the team going forward.
While Patrick Dorgu’s red card and Andre Onana’s poor form will dominate discussions in the days to come, Ruben Amorim will be pleased with a couple of aspects.
Set-pieces have not been United’s forte this season but the team scored all three of their goals from set-pieces and the patterns during those goals showed that the players had rehearsed these moments and they played out just as practiced.
Great display from the backline
The head coach will be immensely pleased with the effort put in by the backline and while Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire will rightly take home the plaudits for their goals, Leny Yoro put in an impressive shift as well.
Put in as the left-sided centre-back in Lisandro Martinez’s absence, Yoro was tasked with following what the Argentine was doing in games before his season-ending injury.
Lenny Yoro completed 13/14 final third passes against Ipswich, more than any other Man Utd player.
Surprising. 👏🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/mA1ZpRWRHa
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 26, 2025
The World Cup winner regularly stepped into midfield before breaking lines with his magnificent passing range. And the young Frenchman did the same against the Tractor Boys.
He was not afraid to step into midfield at every given opportunity and he completed 13 out of 14 final third passes against Ipswich, more than any of his teammates on the night.
Yoro’s passing was impressive
The 19-year-old ended the game with a passing accuracy of 95 percent, misplacing only three passes out of 56. Not only that but the former Lille man also completed a 100 percent of his dribbles.
He had 67 touches and completed one long ball as well. Defensively, he was robust as usual, winning a 100 percent of his tackles (stats via sofascore).
The France U23 international won two out of three ground duels as well as one out of two aerial duel. He also completed six clearances on the night.
The United No 15 was reinstated after missing the last two games but was imperious on the night and Amorim will be pleased, especially with his bravery with the ball and his passing ability.
He is only 19 and both the coach and fans will be expecting a lot more from the French star moving forward. He now has a key role to play with Dorgu set to miss three games.
Feature image Gareth Copley via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
