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Sunday 16 March 2025 21:00
Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho both scored for the first time in 2025 and Bruno Fernandes continued his fine run of form as Manchester United eased to a 3-0 victory in the late Sunday kick-off at Leicester City.
Hojlund ended a 22-game goalless streak at the King Power Stadium to put Ruben Amorim’s Reds in the ascendancy against the relegation strugglers.
The lively Garnacho then recovered from the disappointment of seeing an effort marginally ruled out for offside as he found the net for the first time since late November.
United largely controlled the game in the East Midlands and Fernandes added gloss to the scoreline in the closing stages, scoring his 16th goal of 2024/25 – six of which have come during March.
As we rise to 13th in the Premier League table, the only sour note was a serious-looking injury sustained by Ayden Heaven, who impressed again but was stretchered off following a challenge with Patson Daka early in the second period.
Rasmus runs away to celebrate his first goal of 2025.
FIRST HALF – HOJLUND GETS HIS GOAL
Despite going six home league games without scoring it was the Foxes who forced the opening chance of the night, as Andre Onana – fit to feature following pre-match speculation regarding an illness – used both hands to prevent Jamie Vardy poking home.
United, buoyed by Thursday’s Europa League win over Real Sociedad, were soon on the front foot though, with the more advanced Eriksen helping midfield pair Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte to control the play.
Ugarte scored a memorable equaliser during our last Premier League away outing, at Everton, but his two early sighters from distance cleared the crossbar on his return to the line-up, while Hermansen easily gathered Garnacho’s effort after Leicester had only half-cleared a Reds corner.
After a relatively quiet opening 20 minutes, Eriksen came close to a first top-flight goal of the season, following a well-worked set-piece routine.
His short corner to Fernandes was returned to the Dane at the perfect weight and our no.14 was hugely unfortunate to see his whipped shot rebound off the upright and to safety, with Hermansen beaten.
The Foxes keeper was left grasping at thin air again moments later, when United’s other starting Dane speared the ball into the bottom corner to make it 1-0. Fernandes, our goal hero in the week, turned provider as his clipped pass released Hojlund into space so he could let fly beyond Hermansen and celebrate bringing his much-publicised drought to a resounding end.
Leicester, who matched our 3-4-3 formation, could have levelled prior to the break, but Heaven did well to read Daka’s movements and block the Zambia international’s goalbound strike.
Ayden Heaven made his first Premier League start, after impressing in outings against Fulham, Arsenal and Real Sociedad.
SECOND HALF – GARNACHO AND BRUNO SEAL THE WIN
Arguably the Reds’ standout performer in the first 45 minutes, Heaven’s night was unfortunately brought to a premature end just after the interval. The central defender’s studs caught in the turf as he fought for the ball with Daka and, after a significant delay, he had to be helped off the pitch by medical staff.
His substitution forced a reshuffle at the back, with Noussair Mazraoui moving inside to fulfil Heaven’s role and replacement Toby Collyer deployed on the right flank.
United appeared to have quickly brushed off the setback, when Garnacho converted from Hojlund’s through ball, but the Argentina winger had gone just a split-second too early and the ‘goal’ was ruled out.
It didn’t take long for the 20-year-old to pick himself up and recover, though. Leicester failed to clear a further attack and, after Fernandes had poked the ball back into the box, Garnacho swivelled and powered a shot past Hermansen, ending his own long wait for a Premier League goal – this being his first since the reverse fixture in November.
Hojlund and Garnacho embrace after our second goal.
The Reds were in a comfortable position now and Amorim took the opportunity to hand Harry Amass a senior debut on his 18th birthday.
With pride at stake, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s outfit were still a threat and Matthijs de Ligt had to stretch every inch of his considerable frame to divert Facundo Buonanotte’s effort away.
Leicester have scored just four goals in their last 13 outings though and, as they pushed to mount an unlikely comeback, they were always susceptible to more pain.
And Fernandes was inevitably the man to mete it out, whipping a pass from Diogo Dalot into the far corner and ensuring United entered the international break in a positive frame of mind.
Fernandes has six goals in five March outings now.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Onana; Lindelof, De Ligt, Heaven (Collyer 51); Dalot, Ugarte (Casemiro 69), Fernandes, Mazraoui; Garnacho (Amass 69), Eriksen (Zirkzee 69); Hojlund (Obi 85).
Subs not used: Mee, Harrison, Fredricson, Mount.
Goals: Hojlund 28, Garnacho 67, Fernandes 90.
Leicester: Hermansen; Faes, Coady, Thomas; Justin (McAteer 82), Ndidi, Soumare (Winks 65), Kristiansen (Mavididi 82); Daka (Buonanotte 65), Vardy, El Khannouss (Ayew 90).
Subs not used: Stolarczyk, Okoli, Decordova-Reid, Coulibaly.
Booked: El Khannouss, Ndidi.
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Sunday 16 March 2025 21:00
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