Manchester United arguably produced their finest performance of the season in the Carabao Cup Round of 16 clash with Leicester City on Wednesday, October 30, giving Ruud van Nistelrooy a dream start to his interim spell. A brace each from Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes and a fine strike from Alejandro Garnacho took the Red Devils to a comfortable 5-2 victory over the Foxes at Old Trafford.
On Monday (October 28), Manchester United announced that Erik ten Hag had left the club and Nistelrooy would serve as caretaker manager until a permanent manager comes on board. Ruben Amorim is United’s candidate of choice, with the club pushing to complete the deal as soon as possible.
Although he is on borrowed time, Nistelrooy needs to make the most of the opportunities he gets to prove his first-team managing credentials. On Wednesday, he took a solid first step as Man Utd dismantled Leicester City.
A Ruthless Manchester United Display Against Leicester City
It was a rapid start from the Mancunians, courtesy of a thumping outside-the-box effort from Casemiro. The defensive midfielder had a look-up, positioned himself, and found the top-right corner from around 30 yards. In the 28th minute, Garnacho applied a cool finish at the far post to send Diogo Dalot’s low cross into the back of the net.
Five minutes after United’s second, Leicester City pulled one back, as Bilal El Khannous punished goalkeeper Altay Bayindir’s unconvincing clearance. However, unlike countless times before, Man Utd did not crumble under pressure. They responded in the best possible way. Captain Bruno Fernandes led the way, scoring from a 33rd-minute free-kick with the help of a fortunate deflection.
Three minutes later, Casemiro found the post with his initial header, and the rebound caused a ruckus inside the box. Leicester disappointingly failed to clear the ball, allowing the Brazil international to smash it in from point-blank range.
In the third minute of first-half injury time, Leicester City made it 4-2, thanks to Conor Coady’s opportunistic strike from close range.
Manchester United came back hunting for their fifth goal in the second half and got their reward in the 59th minute. Once again, Fernandes made the difference, as he cleverly latched on to Memeh Caleb Okoli’s under-hit back pass, rounded the goalkeeper, and sent it into the back of the net.
Manchester United could have added more to their tally had Amad Diallo (65′) and Fernandes (83′) been a little luckier with their efforts.
What’s Next for Man Utd?
After booking their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a thumping win over Leicester City, Manchester United will look to carry their form over to the Premier League. They will return to the competition this Sunday (November 3) against Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.
A win is crucial for the Red Devils, who find themselves in 14th place in the Premier League rankings. Chelsea, meanwhile, will look to return to winning ways after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup Round of 16.
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