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Manchester United Clinch FA Cup Fourth-Round Tie Against Leicester City
Football enthusiast Ninad Barbadikar analyzes the thrilling FA Cup fourth-round match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford.
Match Recap: Manchester United 2-1 Leicester City
In a dramatic fashion, Harry Maguire’s late winner for Manchester United against his former club Leicester City secured the Red Devils’ place in the fifth round of the FA Cup. However, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Foxes may feel aggrieved by the decision, as Maguire appeared to be in an offside position when Bruno Fernandes delivered the set-piece.
Joshua Zirkzee’s equalizer canceled out Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s opener, which had given Leicester the lead in the first half. The Jamaican’s strike was the seventh time United had conceded the first goal in their last eight home encounters, reflecting their struggles in the opening period.
Alejandro Garnacho’s introduction as a substitute provided the much-needed spark for United, and he was involved in the build-up to Zirkzee’s leveler. The Argentinian winger ended the night with impressive statistics, including four shots, eight touches in the opposition box, and a 50% shot on target rate.
Maguire, the goalscorer, was honest in his assessment of United’s performance, acknowledging their sluggish start before a much-improved second-half display. The numbers supported his view, with United producing 1.82 Expected Goals (xG) compared to Leicester’s 0.89, and the visitors managing just 0.04 xG in the first half.
“We didn’t have any energy in the beginning, especially in the first-half. Then in the second half, we played a little bit better, with a little more speed, winning second balls,” said United head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy after the game.
What’s Next?
The 13-time winners of the FA Cup will discover their fate in the fifth round when the draw takes place on Monday, 10 February, at 19:10 GMT. The fifth-round ties are scheduled to be held on the weekend of 1-2 March, after Matchweek 27 and before Matchweek 28 in the Premier League.
Fifteen more Premier League sides will look to join Manchester United in the fifth round over the weekend, with at least three top-flight clubs guaranteed to advance, including Everton vs. AFC Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Chelsea, and Aston Villa vs. Tottenham Hotspur.
Don’t miss the excitement of the FA Cup fifth-round draw and the upcoming matches as the road to the final heats up. Stay tuned for the latest updates and analysis!
