Meanwhile Ben Fisher has filed his match report from the King Power, so that’s my cue to go and do today’s Wordle. Thanks for your company, correspondence and lucid laments about Leicester.
Bruno is asked about the criticism he has faced. “I know you mean Roy Keane,” he says. “Huge respect for him, he was one of the best captains here, he won everything… I try to be an example in everything I do. Not everyone will like [it], and I respect everyone’s opinion. I accept there is a lot of margin for improvement in my game, even in my life.”
Take that, Keano.
Updated
And here’s Bruno. “Obviously very pleased,” he says. “Important to get the job done, we had to be at our best level. First half, we lost too many balls, but in the second half we were much better, getting control of the game and getting the goals.”
Does he feel the team are improving?” Yeah I think we can feel that…. Against Arsenal we were a little more deep as they didn’t have much upfront in terms of pace… Against Sociedad, we played very well on the ball, we were very brave… You can see some progress but this progress needs to go on and on.”
Updated
A reality check for United fans. They’ve won only ten league games all season, and five of those have come against the promoted clubs.
Updated
Leicester remain 19th, but their goal difference is now even more of a problem. It’s minus 38, four worse than Ipswich, who are also on 17 points. Wolves have a nine-point cushion, which should be enough.
United, meanwhile, have broken free from the David Moyes Appreciation Society. Before the game they were level with Everton and West Ham (and Spurs) on 34 points. Now they have 37, so they are 13th, two points behind Crystal Palace, who have a game in hand. With Bournemouth on the slide, United can even dream of finishing in the top half.
Updated
This has been arguably the best week of Ruben Amorim’s time at United. Its only rival is the week in December when they won at Viktoria Plzen and then at Man City. But Man City weren’t much good then …
Ruud van Nistelrooy, dignified as ever, exchanges hugs with the men he was in charge of five months ago. Then he and the Leicester players leave the stage to their visitors, who are duly serenaded by their jubilant fans. Sunday evening in the East Midlands? No problem.
Alas, poor Leicester. They are the first top-flight team ever to go seven home games without a goal. And it means they will surely not be a top-flight team for much longer.
FULL TIME! Leicester 0-3 Man United
Man United rocket up to 13th!
Updated
90+8 min Leicester win a corner, then another. They’ve been the better team for the past five minutes.
90+7 min Big chance for Vardy! He hits it hard but too close to Onana, who bats it away.
90+5 min Leicester have a shot on target! It’s only their second, drilled in by Harry Winks, gathered in by Onana.
90+3 min With eight minutes added on, Ruud sends on Jordan Ayew. Which shows that I miscounted the subs earlier – sorry.
90+1 min Fernandes finished serenely from the edge of the box, but it was a goal cooked up by Casemiro. He sent a gorgeous switch from the halfway line to the right wing, where Dalot beat his man and took a moment to survey his options. His cutback picked out Fernandes, who added yet another goal involvement to his collection.
GOAL! Leicester 0-3 United (Fernandes 90)
Well, there was a late goal coming …
Updated
88 min Zirkzee sends a header forward which doesn’t quite find Obi. United seem comfortable enough, but Leicester owe them a last-gasp shock.
85 min Before the subs, there was a minor fracas on the United left as Faes pulled Zirkzee’s shirt. A battle of two fine hairstyles. A minute later, they clash in the air and Zirkzee is left nursing a sore something.
80 min As Ruud plays his last two cards, bringing on McAteer and Mavididi, Amorim replaces Hojlund with Chido Obi. So Harry Amass, 18 today, is no longer the youngest member of this XI.
78 min Correction: Harry Amass is 18 today. If you have to go to work on the day you become an adult, this is the way to do it.
Updated
77 min A yellow card for Ndidi, for slamming into De Ligt, who is limping but OK to continue.
76 min Big chance for Leicester! Vardy is free down the left. He does everything right, drawing a defender to him and then squaring for Buonanotte … whose shot is on target but blocked by De Ligt. Nothing is going right for poor old Leicester.
74 min This lament came in before the second goal. “Yes I am a Leicester fan,” said Graham Randall, answering my question from the 36th minute. “This team might also be the dumbest we have for years. I really don’t understand what they do in training. Three left-backs, two defensive midfielders. No wonder we can’t score a goal. The sad thing is this might be the best performance in weeks.”
72 min Amass races down the left and hits his first senior cross, with an easy fluency reminiscent of Luke Shaw.
71 min The men going off were Eriksen, Ugarte and Garnacho, so Collyer must be moving further forward.
70 min Amorim responds to the rare luxury of a 2-0 lead by handing out a debut. On comes Harry Amass, the 17-year-old left-back who shone in pre-season and then had a long wait for this moment. Also on: Zirkzee and Casemiro.
Garnacho did well to spin and shoot, just inside the near post. He had received a simple forward pass from Fernandes, who else. And another long drought is over.
GOAL! Leicester o-2 United (Garnacho 67)
He gets there in the end.
Updated
65 min Ruud sends on some subs: Winks and Buonanotte for Soumaré and Daka, who was Leicester’s best hope in the first half.
64 min Vardy almost breaks through again, but De Ligt gets his considerable frame in the way.
61 min Eriksen wins a corner with a blocked shot, takes it, finds a United head … The ball comes out to Garnacho, whose shot is well controlled, but well held by Hermansen.
60 min As the hourglass flips over, El Khannouss plays a little through ball and Daka thinks he’s impeded by Mazraoui. The officials do not agree.
59 min Garnacho had just had time to sit on a hoarding with Hojlund before their little party was pooped.
NO GOAL! (Garnacho 57)
Hojlund finds Garnacho, who jinks inside and finds the net with his left foot … but he’s offside.
Updated
56 min Eriksen gets a shot away, not half as good as the curler that hit the post.
55 min Soumaré powers forward and Collyer does well to head clear as Vardy loiters with intent.
54 min Ruben Amorim, down on his haunches, has his head in his hands.
53 min Collyer’s first contribution is an underhit back pass to Onana. Vardy chases it and forces a slice into touch.
Poor Heaven is going off on the stretcher, to sympathetic applause. It looks as if Mazraoui is going into the back three, where he often appears anyway, with Collyer filling in at right wing-back.
United don’t have a centre-back on the bench. They could bring on Casemiro, who has played there a few times, but it looks as if Amorim has opted for another midfielder, Toby Collyer.
Updated
Heaven injured
48 min Vardy sneaks into the area. He could shoot but chooses to square for Daka, who is squeezed out by Heaven – but in the process, United’s precocious teenager goes down in agony. A stretcher is going round to him, and you just hope it’s not as bad as it looks.
Updated
46 min Leicester keep the ball for the first minute. Ndidi gets away down the right but can’t find a team-mate with his cross.
Apparently, this guy is a United fan.
Someone at Sky has worked out that Hojlund went 22 hours, 14 minutes without a goal in all competitions. Will it be a case of London buses, or will Leicester be inspired to break their own fast?
“I’m following this game via your MBM,” says Hasan, “but it’s one of those rare occasions where I wish I were watching it in a pub – that way, if I heard someone question whether Leicester could equalise, I could chime in with a ‘Heaven forbid.’ Or am I already too late to the party with that kind of banter?” The party is going to last a long time. And everyone is there.
HALF-TIME! Leicester 0-1 Man United (Hojlund 28)
Hojlund’s goal is the difference between the sides, and it’s not often that has been said in the Premier League this season. United deserve their lead but Leicester do seem to be warming to the task.
45 min Just a minute to be added on.
43 min Leicester are getting closer. Daka has two shots in quick succession, one of them blocked by a slide from the ubiquitous Heaven.
40 min Heaven goes on a run from the back, slips past a couple of blue shirts and wins a free kick. He’s been so impressive.
Eriksen chips the free kick into the mix and a half-chance falls to Fernandes, who balloons it.
38 min Leicester’s best moment for half an hour, as some crisp passes culminate in a cross from the left by Kristiansen. Ndidi is waiting for it, but Ugarte goes with him and makes a vital clearance.
36 min “Leicester have approached the last dozen games or so with the intent of a lower division team away at a big club in the cup,” says Graham Randall. “The squad is badly put together. Only one signing from the summer is starting, one of the Premier League loan players has not been seen for months. I can’t see much changing next season either.” Are you, by any chance, a Leicester fan?
34 min Some good running by Ndidi down the right wins a corner, but it’s easily cleared.
33 min El Khannouss goes in hard and late on Mazraoui, and gets a yellow card for his trouble.
31 min “After the upset win in the Carabao Cup final earlier this evening,” says Krish Krishnamoorthy, “can we expect another upset? A Man Utd win, I mean.”
Hojlund was sent through by Fernandes (who else?). He took a couple of touches and calmly slotted the ball into the far corner with his weaker foot, his right. It’s his first league goal since United lost at home to Forest before Christmas. And his best shot since then too.
GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Man United (HOJLUND 28)
The drought is over!
Updated
27 min A glimmer for Leicester! Daka is in behind and Heaven has to get his tackle just right. He manages it.
26 min Just before that, a fine cross came in from Noussair Mazraoui on the right, but Hojlund took a backward step when the tap-in was calling to him.
24 min Woodwork! Eriksen takes a corner, plays a one-two with Fernandes and curls a long shot into the far post. His hair may be thinning, but he still has a full head of nous.
Updated
22 min Luke Thomas curls in a classy free kick, but De Ligt (I think) gets his head to it and the flag is up anyway.
20 min Daka wins a free kick from Lindelof, on account of a high boot. Leicester have had only a third of the possession, but they haven’t looked at all uncomfortable.
18 min Vardy sneaks in behind Lindelof, who is bailed out by Onana.
“Don’t you think,” says Tim Stappard, “considering it’s Leicester and considering the get-out-of-jail-free card the Europa League is to Utd, Amorim might have rested Dalot and Bruno?”
With Dalot, they don’t have a spare wing-back because of Patrick Dorgu’s suspension (and Amad’s injury). With Bruno, Amorim is brave, but I’m not sure he’s brave enough to say “Skipper, you’re rested.”
Updated
14 min Another neat set of passes from United, until Dalot overhits a cross. He’s a good team player but he seems forever surprised by his own strength.
12 min United having more of the ball. Fernandes’ cross from the right finds Dalot, who can’t quite flick the ball back to the waiting Eriksen.
11 min Ugarte tries another punt from distance, no better than the first. That was a shame because United had progressed from front to back very smoothly, helped by a knock-down from Hojlund.
9 min Ugarte wins the ball on the edge of the box and tries a long shot, which only bothers the fans behind the goal.
7 min United get in the Leicester box without really threatening. And then Ayden Heaven, the precocious centre-back making his first PL start, gives away a foul, but Leicester can’t do much with the free kick.
5 min One reason why I like watching these two teams face each other is that they both get to wear the right colours. Leicester are in blue, obviously, and United in their usual red, albeit with white socks.
3 min Chance! For Jamie Vardy, finding a yard in the inside-left channel. Lindelof does well to shrink the space and Vardy’s shot goes wide.
2 min Dalot’s throw reaches Hojlund, who twists and shoots with his left foot – just wide. That’s one more shot than he has had in quite a few games this season.
1 min We’re off! And United have a chance to put a long throw into the box.
As both teams go into their huddles, Bruno Fernandes is making a point quite forcefully. “Guys! I can’t score all the goals!”
An email! “Good to see Mason Mount back on the bench,” says Dean Kinsella. “If he could find his old international form he could be very important for Kobbie Mainoo. So many short passes have been going astray in the midfield especially since Mainoo has been out. Mount might be the guy to knit it all together.”
Manchester United come into this game with an unfamiliar feeling. They can look back on their last performance with great satisfaction.
Against Real Sociedad on Thursday, they weren’t flawless (until the 87th minute, they led only by virtue of some over-zealous refereeing), but by the end they were dominant. And the word “electrified” was even used.
Rasmus Højlund and Alejandro Garnacho have both gone 20 games without scoring, but they both got assists in that game and it feels as if a goal is just around the corner. Garnacho always finds a way to shoot. Højlund doesn’t, but when he teed up Diogo Dalot for United’s fourth, he celebrated as if they’d won the Europa League. When he finally scores, he may well explode.
United now have the chance to do something that has been beyond them all season and Go On a Run. But it would not exactly be out of character for them to stumble tonight.
Updated
And they’ve done it! Despite conceding in the 95th minute.
Meanwhile, at Wembley, Newcastle are about seven minutes away from winning their first trophy in 70 years. Do join John Brewin to see if they can do it.
Teams in full
Leicester (3-4-2-1) Hermansen; Coady, Faes, Thomas; Justin, Ndidi, Soumaré, Kristiansen; Daka, El Khannouss; Vardy.
Subs: Stolarczyk, Okoli, Coulibaly, Winks, Buonanotte, Mavididi, McAteer, De Cordova-Reid, Ayew.
Manchester United (3-4-2-1) Onana; De Ligt, Lindelof, Heaven; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dalot; Garnacho, Eriksen; Højlund.
Subs: Harrison, Mee, Fredricson, Amass, Casemiro, Collyer, Mount, Zirkzee, Obi.
Updated
Teams in brief: Leicester unchanged
Ruud keeps faith with the XI that lost only narrowly at Stamford Bridge, so it’s the battle of the back threes.
Teams in brief: Ugarte and Eriksen start
For United, Manuel Ugarte is back from injury to replace Casemiro, who was “very tired”, according to Amorim, after having his best spell of the season. Christian Eriksen comes in for Joshua Zirkzee as the left-sided No 10, and Mason Mount is back on the bench after a long lay-off.
Updated
Preamble
Evening everyone and welcome to the last Premier League match of this month. If you’re an addict, you’re about to go cold Tuchel.
Tonight’s game is at 7pm, expertly timed to infuriate the travelling fan and not much better for the season-ticket holder with young children. It’s the fourth Van Nistelrooy derby of the season, but the first at the King Power. United won the other three – 5-2, 3-0, 2-1 – so at least Leicester’s defenders have got better at coping with them. On the third occasion, in the FA Cup, Leicester were beaten only by a header from Harry Maguire that was (a) in Fergie time and (b) blatantly offside.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has been in the technical area for all four of these games, two on each side. Ruben Amorim – whose first act as United manager was to get rid of Ruud – has only faced Leicester in the cup. In the league, both managers have made their teams worse. Amorim has five wins in 17 PL games, Van Nistelrooy two in 15 with Leicester – after being unbeaten in four games in all competitions, and oozing authority, as United’s stopgap manager.
Entertaining as the United soap opera is, tonight is more about whether Leicester can turn the tide. In their past five league games, it’s been Leicester 0, The Rest 13. They used up far too many goals on 11 January, when they beat QPR 6-2: since then, they haven’t scored at home. Their chances of staying up are 1 per cent according to Opta. The only way it can happen is if they collect 10 more points than Wolves.
Leicester’s next four opponents are Man City, Newcastle, Brighton and Liverpool, so they simply have to win tonight, then beat one of that lot (Newcastle, at a pinch?), hope Wolves get only one point from their next four games (West Ham home, Ipswich away, Spurs home, Man U away), and win the showdown between the two at the King Power on 3 May. That would leave Leicester a mere point adrift with home games against Southampton and Ipswich to come. It may be a faint hope, but it’s the only one they’ve got.
