Full time: Manchester United 2-0 Leicester City
That’s it. Manchester United continue their intimidating start to the season with another win and another clean sheet. They had to work hard against an admirable Leicester defence before the substitutes Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini settled the match. Thanks for your company, night!
90+4 min Lukaku almost gets his goal, hitting a close-range shot that is deflected over the bar by the stretching Morgan. Great defending.
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90+3 min De Gea makes a terrific late save from King, who diverted Gray’s low cross towards goal from barely five yards. De Gea spread himself to divert it wide with a stiff right leg.
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90 min There will be four minutes of added time.
88 min James is booked for scything down Rashford, who made a great 50-yard run from the left.
86 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Does seeing Rashford & Simpson square off remind anyone else of this rock-solid radio hit from yesteryear?”
It does now!
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85 min Six of United’s ten league goals this season have come from the 80th minute onwards.
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Lingard made a great run behind the defence, came back inside Morgan and hit a shot that was kneed into the net by Fellaini. I don’t know how much Fellaini knew about it. I do knew he looked fractionally offside, so Leicester might have been hard done by there. It’s been a good day for Jose Mourinho though: two of his substitutes scored, and the other made the second goal.
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GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Leicester (Fellaini 82)
United are going back to the top of the table.
82 min “It’s surely been said but this United team is almost a straight copy of Chelsea ‘05,” says Arthur Tee. “All Bailly needs is curly hair.”
I’d say this United team is a bit more technical, and nowhere near as good. Take your point though, there are loads of similarities.
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81 min United are comfortable at the moment, killing time through the age-old method of passing the football to a team-mate.
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80 min United are ten minutes away from a third consecutive clean sheet. They were solid even before Matic, so you can’t imagine that will be a problem area for them this season. It’s a much better defence on the pitch than on paper, which reflects well on Mourinho.
77 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Adam Roberts. “Yes, it was a harsh penalty; yes, it was poor effort from Lukaku. But why have referees completely stopped judging the goalkeepers’ adherence to the rules on penalties? It was as if Schmeichel was charging down a conversion in rugby.”
He was well off his line, it’s true.
76 min Leicester make their final substitution too, with Slimani replacing Vardy.
75 min United’s final change: Jesse Lingard replaces Anthony Martial, who was a sporadic but considerable threat, particularly when he ran at Simpson.
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74 min Mkhitaryan comes off to be replaced by Marouane Fellaini. He makes an immediate impact with a strong header forward to Lukaku, who runs at the last man Morgan before smashing the ball over the bar from 20 yards.
It’s another assist for Mkhitaryan, an outswinging corner that was missed by everyone at the near post. Rashford, left alone 10 yards out by Ndidi, swung his right foot instinctively and the ball kicked off the pitch before going through the diving Schmeichel.
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GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Leicester (Rashford 70)
Marcus Rashford won the corner, and now he’s scored from it.
70 min Pogba plays a great pass to the overlapping Rashford, whose fierce low cross is blocked by the superb Maguire.
69 min “As wonderful a story as Leicester’s title win was, it was ruined for me by Robert Huth,” chirps Matt Dolny. “Comfortably my least favourite footballer. I have an irrational level of dislike for him. Even when he’s not playing, his very association with the club makes me want them to lose. Except, they’re playing United. Who I also want to lose. Yet another frustrating Saturday night, bound to end in disappointment. It’s like I’m 19 again.”
68 min United have been quite flat since missing the penalty, with Leicester posing a greater threat on the counter-attack. Craig Shakespeare might be a future England manager, you know.
67 min A United substitution: Marcus Rashford on, Juan Mata off.
66 min The little genius Mahrez is really straight to threaten. He sends Blind off to another postcode with a lovely dragback before rifling the ball right across the face of goal.
65 min We haven’t seen Harry Maguire marauding forward today. What we have seen, as Owen Hargreaves points out on BT Sport, is that he is a bloody good defender.
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64 min What a chance for Leicester! Gray broke forward, with Mahrez in a wonderful position to his right, but his through pass was late and overhit. Mahrez still managed to manufacture a shot, which was blocked by Jones, but with a better pass he’d have had a one-on-one.
63 min Mkhitaryan fizzes a penetrative angled pass into Martial, who is superbly tackled in the box by Morgan.
62 min Leicester have had a very narrow defence, happy for United to cross towards Morgan and Maguire. So far it has worked very well. Maguire in particular has had a fine game.
61 min “Rob!” says Iloti Mutoka. “FM 2017 has it at Matic as DM/MC and Herrera as a M/AMC. Incidentally, it says Utd are 11th because I haven’t started the season yet and that Herrera’s morale is good, to Matic’s Very Good. Maybe Mourinho is is looking at that, too.”
60 min A double change for Leicester: Demarai Gray for Albrighton, and Andy King for Okazaki. That should mean a switch to 4-3-3-.
59 min Mahrez dances beautifully past Jones and into the box, only for the ball to hit his standing foot as he shapes to shoot. It dribbles wide, but without that unwitting touch he’d have had a great chance.
56 min Simpson is really struggling to deal with Martial, who wins another corner. It’s cleared and Leicester break dangerously. Eventually Mahrez slithers away from Jones and rattles an early shot from a tight angle that is kicked away by De Gea.
55 min Bailly bumps Albrighton over 25 yards from goal, and again Michael Oliver surprisingly gives no foul.
54 min Mkhitaryan is booked for fouling Mahrez, who danced past him on a rare Leicester break.
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SCHMEICHEL SAVES THE PENALTY!
It was a poor penalty from Lukaku, hit with pace but telegraphed and nowhere near the corner. Schmeichel dived to his right to push it away. Leicester will feel that justice has been done. There were maybe five yards between Martial and Simpson, but Simpson did not move his hand towards the ball.
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PENALTY TO UNITED
Martial’s cross hits the hand of Simpson, and Michael Oliver gives a penalty. I think that’s a bit harsh.
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50 min Leicester are defending so deep. Lukaku rolls Maguire on the line of the box and goes over after a bit of contact. Maguire put hands on him but I’m not sure there was enough for a penalty.
48 min Both teams have good attacking options on the bench: Rashford, Fellaini, Lingard, Slimani, Iheanacho, Gray.
46 min Peep peep! Leicester begin the second half, kicking from right to left on my screen.
“Re Herrera v Matic: different players,” says Paul Ewart. “Herrera may have more quality but Matic is a specialist. Simple as that isn’t it?”
Yep! In Football Manager terms, Matic is a DMC, Herrera is an MC. I assume they still define players like that, anyway. I haven’t actually played it since the Tonton Zola Moukoko years.
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Half time: Manchester United 0-0 Leicester City
Peep peep! Attack and defence, invasion and repulsion ... the last 30 minutes of that half were like a training session. Yet for all United’s dominance and bright football, not to mention the series of heatseekers that came off Paul Pogba’s right foot, Kasper Schmeichel didn’t have that much to do. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
45 min Pogba is bumped over in the D by Okazaki, but Michael Oliver plays on. Seconds earlier, Lukaku took down Valencia’s cross in the area - possibly with his arm - before being crowded out.
43 min Matic, Bailly and Pogba have all had excellent halves.
41 min Blind’s flat cross is headed well wide by Lukaku, who was under pressure from Maguire. That came from another excellent crossfield reacher from Pogba.
40 min Leicester started the game really well but they’ve been unable to keep the ball in the last 20 minutes or so.
37 min Maguire is penalised for wrestling Lukaku to the floor 25 yards from goal. Pogba hits the free-kick into the top of the wall.
36 min “You have to feel for Herrera a little, being out of the side despite being the outstanding player last year,” says David Wall. “Do you really think that Matic does that much that he couldn’t do? Would you agree with people who say that that signing was the moment United crossed the Rubicon to become real title challengers?”
Arf. Yes, Matic is much better in that particular position. Herrera will get plenty of games alongside Matic though, particularly the big ones.
35 min Pogba has a bit of room 30 yards out and belts an excellent low shot just wide of the left post. Schmeichel, who I think was unsighted, wouldn’t have got to it.
35 min Matic and Mata combine to find Pogba, whose fierce shot from a tight angle is beaten away by Schmeichel.
34 min United are thumping on the door now, though Leicester have generally restricted them to long-range efforts.
33 min “Zlatan could play a different role upon his return,” says Jens Koch. “Some of his best matches for Sweden before he retired from the international scene, was as a number ten, playing behind the main striker. He was such a joy to watch in that role. If he has lost (even more) pace after the injury, then that withdrawn role is one where he could still be influential.”
Yes, good point. I think there are times, particularly late in games, when they will play two up front as well.
32 min Phil Jones goes on a demented charge from the back and collides with Simpson on the edge of the box. Michael Oliver says play on. Mourinho isn’t happy, though I’m not sure how Simpson could have got out the way of the beast that was marauding towards him.
31 min Martial works Schmeichel with a well-struck shot from 25 yards. It was too straight and therefore a relatively comfortable save.
30 min Rubicon!
29 min Pogba again tries to provide some long-range razzmatazz. Goalkick.
28 min Pogba tries another long-range curler. It goes miles wide.
25 min The referee Sir Chris Foy, on BT Sport, reckons Mata was fractionally offside for that disallowed goal. I’m still not sure - it looked to me as if Morgan’s bum was playing him on, but there you go.
24 min Pogba runs onto the ball and hits a monstrous rising shot from 25 yards that beats Schmeichel and swerves just wide of the far post. United are certainly more exciting in attack than they have been for the last five years. I don’t know if you could call it sexy football, but it’s certainly pretty risque at times.
23 min James drives a ball over the top for Vardy, who takes it down and drags it across to the supporting Okazaki. He drives a decent low shot from 20 yards that is comfortably saved by the plunging De Gea.
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21 min “That style guide section has some lovely words in it,” says Kari Tulinius. “Hopefully some of them will find their way to this minute-by-minute. It’ll be some game if you can make use the words razzmatazz, realpolitik, risque and Rubicon.”
20 min All of a sudden United are flying. Mata nutmegs Maguire and teases a curler towards the far corner that brings a fine save from Schmeichel, leaping to his right.
19 min That’s lovely play from United. Lukaku pushes it wide to Martial, who runs at Simpson and floats a gentle cross towards the far post. Pogba arrives round the back, stretches to volley back across goal, and the ball drifts just wide of the far post. He probably should have scored.
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18 min Mata has a goal wrongly disallowed for offside. Lukaku made something out of nothing, turning to welt a low shot towards goal from inside the D. Schmeichel got down smartly but could only push it out in front of goal, and Mata followed up to score. Replays showed he was definitely onside, though it was tight.
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17 min Vardy tries to run Bailly, and is made to realise his error when he is matched for speed and beaten for strength.
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16 min It’s been a decent start, with neither side really on top. United are working their way into the game, particularly the creative hub of Pogba and Mkhitaryan.
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12 min A free-kick is blasted 60 yards towards Vardy, who gets behind Jones and just fails to reach the ball before it bounces into the arms of De Gea. At the other end, Mkhitaryan loses Ndidi and hits a 25-yard shot that hits the hell of Morgan and loops into Schmeichel’s arms.
11 min United build up patiently on the right, until Valencia rakes a cross straight out of play on the other side of the pitch.
9 min The wandering Mahrez beats Blind with a fine turn, plays a give-and-go with Okazaki and is fouled by Bailly. He looks in the mood. The free-kick is dumped into the box towards Morgan, who is offside.
8 min Pogba sprays a lovely crossfield pass to Mata, whose cross is cleared by Morgan.
5 min This has been a good start from Leicester, who look bullish in possession. Their fans are making all kinds of noise as well.
4 min Matty James tries a curler from 25 yards. It drifts gently wide.
2 min “Does the Guardian style guide have anything to say about resigning and re-signing?” asks Lizz Poulter. “Thanks to David Wall’s opening line, I genuinely went off looking for the news that Ibrahimovic had quit, until I forced myself to ‘mispronounce’ resign. I know the preposition ‘for’ was a clue, but honestly, I didn’t understand. Say I wasn’t alone!”
1 min A fast start from United, with Mkhitaryan almost scoring after 25 seconds. His low shot was blocked by Morgan.
1 min Peep peep! United kick off from right to left. They are in red; Leicester aer wearing blue.
The players emerge from the tunnel on a lovely sunny evening in Manchester. Let’s get this over with, then.
An email! “Reflecting on the news that Ibrahimovic has resigned for United, might his injury turn out to have been the best thing that could have happened last season, for the team although obviously not for him,” says David Wall. “It didn’t stop them winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions’ League. And it forced Mourinho into signing a proper centre forward to take his place, rather than a withdrawn forward like Griezman (or someone similar). If they’d not signed Lukaku, and Zlatan was still playing as the main centre forward then they’d not have the pace and threat that they’ve shown so far this year. The fact that opposition defences now have to really worry about people running beyond them in turn makes more space for the midfield to play, something that didn’t often happen last season.”
Yes, possibly. They look faster this season, though that’s down to a lot more than just the swap from Ibrahimovic to Lukaku. In many ways Lukaku has been like Zlatan last season – almost anonymous, apart from on the scoresheet, though I take the point about stretching defences. Either way, I think re-signing him is a great move because they’ll need him in the the second half of the season if they progress in the cups, as Mourinho’s teams tend to do. If he accepts the role, he should be a superb glory substitute as well.
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If you’re one of those old-fashioned folk who still read books, I’ve read a couple of excellent United-related ones of late: Red Rebels, the Shakespearean story of FC United, and the autobiography of the briefly adored Andrei Kanchelskis.
While you wait...
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Team news
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Blind; Pogba, Matic; Mata, Mkhitaryan, Martial; Lukaku.
Substitutes: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Lingard, Herrera, Fellaini, Rashford
Leicester (4-2-3-1) Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Ndidi, James; Mahrez, Okazaki, Albrighton; Vardy.
Substitutes: Hamer, Chilwell, Amartey, King, Gray, Slimani, Iheanacho.
Referee Michael Oliver.
Preamble
Hello. Jose Mourinho’s greatest gift to the Premier League was to make people realise that matches won in autumn are worth as much as those won in the spring. Before that, the first half of the season was almost a warm-up; Sir Alex Ferguson regularly told us that Manchester United only really got going after Christmas, and the same was true of most of the eventual Premier League winners.
Mourinho changed all that. In his first season Chelsea won 20 of their first 25 league games to keep pace with and then overtake the Invincibles; in his second they won 20 of their first 22 games. The title race was effectively over before Santa sat down for a hard-earned eggnog treat and to reflect on whether he could really be bothered to go through all that again next year. It was a strange sort of flattery when, a year later, United scored four times in the first 20 minutes of the season and never looked back until they had taken Chelsea’s title.
Mourinho is a formidable front-runner. He has always believed that, in a long-distance title race, you need to be your own pacemaker. His United team have flown round the first lap, with consecutive 4-0 wins over West Ham and Swansea. It’s no coincidence that, in both games, they went from decent to devastating the moment the score became 2-0 and the match really opened up: this already looks like United’s best counter-attacking side since Cristiano Ronaldo took flight DO1 to Madrid in 2009.
West Ham and Swansea were not great, however, and there are bigger tests to come – starting today against a confident Leicester team who are pretty adept on the counter-attack themselves. It’s too early to know where United will finish this season; anyone who says otherwise is either a spoofer or Biff Tannen. But it’s fair to assume that, if they do win the league, we’ll be able to trace their triumph all the way back to August.
Kick off is at 5.30pm.
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