Leicester 0 Man Utd 3: Rasmus Hojlund’s first goal since December forces Van Nistelrooy’s Foxes closer to relegation
MANCHESTER UNITED chose a night when the heavens opened and the rain tumbled down to end two goal droughts!
Rasmus Hojlund scored for the first time since his double downed Viktoria Plzen on December 12 – to end his 22 game wait after a staggering 22 hours and 19 minutes.
And he was joined by another goal-starved Man United teammate as Alejandro Garnacho ended his four month wait for a goal.
He last found the bet against Bodo Glimt in Europe but this was his first Premier League strike since November 10 – 25 games and 24 hours and 11 minutes ago.
It sums up Leicester City’s season that his last goal was also scored against the Foxes!
Man of the Match Bruno Fernandes wrapped up a cushy win for the Reds with a cracker in the 90th minute to extend Ruben Amorim’s unbeaten run to seven matches, with his 17th goal in all competitions.
Sadly for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side their own home goal drought was extended to SEVEN games – the first club in Premier League history to go so long without a goal in front of their own fans.
They now appear doomed to relegation, nine points adrift of Wolves.
Ten years ago Nigel Pearson’s Foxes were marooned at the bottom of the table for four-and-a-half months between late November and mid-April.
But somehow they managed to win seven of their last nine fixtures to finish 14th and survive comfortably – earning the nickname ‘Dogs of War.’
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However even their staunchest fans wouldn’t bet on a repeat from the current bunch.
The Foxes fans clearly feel their club has gone to the dogs this season.
Within 15 minutes, and with the game still goalless, they displayed a banner which stated: “From Dogs of War to Doggy Day Care.”
That was a reference to this season when Jannick Vestergaard hit the headlines for bringing his pet pooch – a Eurasier called Brady – to training with him!
The home side certainly made a dog’s dinner of defending United’s opener just before the half hour.
Not that Hojlund was complaining as he managed to remove the very large monkey which has been on his back since December!
He finally found the net with a large helping hand from some feeble Foxes defending.
Fernandes clipped a ball forward and Boubacar Soumare managed to get his feet in a fankle and failed to cut out the danger.
That sprang Hojlund who cut in on goal but was helped by Wout Faes who – for reasons best known to himself – decided to initially back off, rather than block the striker’s route to goal.
Hojlund couldn’t believe his luck as the Foxes defence parted, allowing him to slam the ball beyond Mads Hermansen into the far corner.
It was no more than United deserved.
Five minutes earlier Christian Eriksen thought he had given the visitors the lead when he worked a short corner with Fernandes.
With no Foxes defender around to stop him the Dane curled a right footer around Hermansen from the corner of the box.
However to his frustration the ball bounced off the inside of the far post and back out.
The second half got off to a miserable start for United when 18-year-old defender Ayden Heaven – brilliant until then – was stretchered off after injuring his knee in a collision with Patson Daka.
And there was more frustration when Hojlund set up Garnacho who cut inside Luke Thomas to beat Hermansen with a left footer.
However he had strayed offside and his goal famine continued.
But his perseverance paid off after 67 minutes when he finally broke his duck.
Again Fernandes was at the heart of it as his initial pass was blocked by Victor Kristiansen.
However the Portuguese skipper was first to react and knocked the rebound back to Garnacho who beat Hermansen at his near post.
Leicester thought they were finally going to end their agony with a consolation goal 15 minutes from the end when Vardy set up sub Facundo Buonanotte in front of a gaping goal.
But somehow Matthijs de Ligt slid in to block and frustrate the hapless Foxes.
And Fernandes rubbed salt in gaping wounds when he added a third for United just before full-time.
Diogo Dalot got round the back of the Foxes defence and squared to Fernandes who drilled the ball beyond Hermansen from the edge of the box.
Leicester have now gone 10 and a half hours without scoring at home – it may be some time before they manage to break that particular record on this form!