United continue winning run with victory over Leicester

Premier League

Manchester United 2-0 Leicester City 

Manchester United maintained their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season as they beat Leicester 2-0 this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side have won all three of their opening league matches, keeping three clean sheets in the process, and have already hit double figures for goals scored so far this term (10).

They dominated much of the game and after Romelu Lukaku saw an early second-half penalty saved by Kasper Schmeichel, Marcus Rashford broke the deadlock on the 70-minute mark just three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Marouane Fellaini took slightly longer after his introduction to add United’s second, with his knee directing home Jesse Lingard’s cross in the 82nd minute to seal another win for the hosts.

Manchester United dominated the first half and could have taken the lead in the 19th minute. Lukaku saw a powerful effort pushed away by Schmeichel, but the ball landed at the feet of the waiting Juan Mata who slotted home, only to see the offside flag raised and the goal ruled out.

But the hosts kept coming with Paul Pogba firing just wide from the right-hand side of the box two minutes later before Mata was again denied the opening goal, dancing into space before taking aim but Schmeichel was there to make another important save.

Shots from all over kept peppering the Foxes goal, with Lukaku firing a long range effort just wide of the upright in the 25th minute before Pogba – who had a number of first half chances – twice went close 10 minutes later. The first was again pushed away by Schmeichel before his effort from distance also skimmed past the post.

Seven minutes into the second half, and United were handed a golden chance to take the lead as Danny Simpson was penalised for handling the ball in the box. Lukaku stepped up to take the penalty, but Schmeichel continued his solid first-half display by leaping to his right and saving the spot kick, much to the delight of his team-mates.

Leicester had their best chances after the break, with David de Gea making his first save of the game in the 57th minute as Riyad Mahrez attempted a low cross into the box but the goalkeeper got down to collect. The Algerian was causing trouble again 10 minutes later, going one-on-one with Daley Blind on the right-hand side before whipping the ball through the area but no one was there to convert.

But United made their pressure count in the 70th minute as Rashford broke the deadlock just three minutes and 18 seconds after replacing Mata. Henrikh Mkhitaryan delivered a corner into the box and it was ultimately a simple slot home from the striker, who was lurking unmarked in the middle of the box to fire past Schmeichel.

Another substitute in Fellaini doubled the lead 12 minutes later after a superb run from Lingard into space on the left-hand side. He fired a cross-shot through the box and it was diverted home by the knee of the Belgian, although there were some queries from the Leicester players about whether he was offside.

Andy King could have spoiled the evening for Mourinho’s men as he looked set to tap home from a fizzing Demarai Gray cross at the near post, but some great anticipation from De Gea saw him there to smother the ball and help keep a third successive clean sheet for Man Utd this season.