Man Utd swat aside Leicester as Van Nistelrooy bows out with win
After a quiet opening period, the hosts took the lead on 17 minutes when Bruno Fernandes latched onto Amad Diallo’s lovely backheel before beautifully curling into the bottom corner from the edge of the box on his 250th United appearance - his ninth goal involvement in eight starts against the Foxes.
Leicester tried to respond through Wilfred Ndidi, who should have done better when clean through as his nonchalant attempt was comfortably stopped by André Onana.
He was duly punished as the Red Devils doubled their advantage before HT in somewhat unfortunate circumstances from the visitors’ perspective.
Noussair Mazraoui’s whipped cross was met by the arriving Fernandes, but the United captain made a mess of his header, with the ball instead glancing off his leg and onto Victor Kristiansen, who could only divert into his own net.
Amad could have even killed the game off in added time, but after a mazy dribble he struck straight at Mads Hermansen.
United were happy to protect their lead in the second half, and it was Leicester who looked the more threatening.
Jordan Ayew - who scored decisively in his previous two away league games - struck the side-netting on the turn, but Steve Cooper’s men were desperately lacking a focal point in the absence of Jamie Vardy.
The hosts retained their threat on the counter throughout, and substitute Alejandro Garnacho put the game to bed as he wonderfully curled into the top corner after being unleashed by Fernandes.
United’s brilliant record against Leicester continues, having now lost just two of the last 18 top-flight H2Hs, scoring in 29 successive league meetings in the process, while the Foxes have won just once in 15 league visits to Old Trafford as they miss the chance to overtake their hosts in the PL table.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
