Ten Hag showed how much he really cares about the title Manchester United made five changes from the side that played so well in Barcelona, but resisted the urge to make any wildcard selections as they looked to get the job done. It showed how much Ten Hag is still prioritising the Premier League ahead of playing in two cup competitions, with a focus on trying to engage in a title challenge, even if he won’t entertain it himself. This season, there has been a recurring theme in which they have failed to capitalise on any openings above them, and after Man City’s dropped points a day earlier, United’s response was emphatic. Read next: How the United players rated vs Leicester Unsung hero made the difference There is a viral graphic of a cartoon David de Gea kneeling in front of a shop shutter that is painted with the words “sorry, closed on Sunday.” United fans were grateful to see it doing the rounds again during the Leicester game. The Foxes started strongly against a makeshift midfield and only further gained confidence as the match progressed, buoyed on by the acres of space they had previously exploited. On another day, they would have had two early goals to show for it, but they didn’t, thanks to the outrageous ability of De Gea in the United goal. First he stood strong to deny Harvey Barnes when he raced through on goal, and minutes later he dived expertly to his right to claw out a header from Kelechi Iheanacho. At a time when United are still drawing up a shortlist of goalkeeper targets for the summer, De Gea has reminded them that they will struggle to find any who are as good at keeping the ball out of the net as him. Rashford lives up to the hype This was a win that only further confirmed three of United’s common acceptances: Casemiro is a huge loss in midfield, De Gea is an incredible goalkeeper, and Marcus Rashford is in world-class form. It feels like Rashford will score in every game he plays at the moment, and it was almost taken for granted that he managed to do so twice again at the weekend. The England international is oozing confidence right now, and there was never any doubt he would find the back of the net when he was twice played through on goal. Rashford now has 16 goals in 17 games since coming back from the World Cup. He might just be the best player on the planet right now. The perfect start to a big week This could be a defining week for United’s season. By the end of it, they could be one of the favourites to win the Europa League and celebrate it with a trophy under the Wembley arch. They could also end it knocked out of Europe and without silverware for six years. Whatever happens, Ten Hag has done a fantastic job this season, and United should only be more confident now that they have what it takes to end it on the high it deserves. They weren’t at their best against Leicester, but they still managed to win in style with a rampant second-half display in which they blitzed their bewildered opponents. It bodes well for their two biggest games of the campaign. United might have already completed target No matter what happens in the days ahead, United look like they have already achieved one of their main objectives for this season. They are now not only strong favourites to finish in the top-four, but they also look like certainties to finish third, a remarkable transformation given just how badly they were at the beginning. Newcastle have started wobbling in a month that often determines who’s going to have a competitive run-in, and United have now twice capitalised on their dropped points top open up a pretty comfortable cushion. They could get an even bigger psychological advantage on them this weekend, too. Next up: The latest United news United vs Leicester highlights Ten Hag may have hinted at who will be allowed to leave this summer Ten Hag makes takeover admission after Qatari Sheikh bid ‘F*** off and get lost’ – How Ferguson reacted to star asking him for a 12-month holiday after falling asleep in training Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
