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After agreeing to a 2-2 away draw against Barcelona midweek in the UEFA Europa League, attention quickly turns to the Premier League (PL) for Manchester United. United’s most optimistic fans may think they are on the sidelines of a title race, as they are just five points out of top place before this matchday, although manager Erik ten Hag has been reluctant to label his team. as a contender.
United will be looking to keep the pressure on Manchester City and Arsenal, as they have won 13 of their last 14 home games in all competitions (D1). They also won the first game against Leicester this season 1-0, although that is their only win in the last six games against their current rival7 (D2, L3), which raises some doubts about whether they can complete a first double of league wins over Leicester since the 2019/20 campaign.
Going from a goal down to defeating Tottenham 4-1 in the previous matchday helped allay mounting fears that Leicester could find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle. That win marked the second successive game Leicester had come from behind to win in the PL, having also done so against Aston Villa in the previous match, which should boost confidence in extending their two-game unbeaten run in the league at Old Trafford (W1, E1) even if the first goal of the match is conceded.
You’d have to go back to the mid-’70s to see the last time Leicester enjoyed a longer unbeaten run at Old Trafford, and while another win would extend that, it would also mark their first trio of back-to-back PL wins since January 2021. goals in those previous two victories have taken the pressure off manager Brendan Rodgers, and it’s a good thing the Foxes are scoring freely because they haven’t been able to keep a clean sheet in the league since the season resumed after the World Cup.
Players to watch: Goals to Marcus Rashford cannot be ruled out at the moment, and after netting at the Camp Nou, United’s leading goalscorer returns to Old Trafford, where he has scored in six straight PL home games. Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho has proven equally influential of late, having been involved in five goals in the Foxes’ last two league games (two goals, three assists).
Highlight: Both teams have scored goals in five of Leicester’s last six PL games with Stuart Attwell as main referee.