Luke Shaw was substituted at half-time after getting injured while James Maddison's late goal was overruled upon VAR intervention following a foul during the build up.
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Manchester United’s Champions League hopes were dealt a blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Leicester City at Old Trafford on Saturday. Kelechi Iheanacho opened the scoring for the visitors three minutes after the hour-mark, but Manchester United equalised through Fred three minutes later to share the points. It could have been worse for Ralf Rangnick’s side but James Maddison was denied a late winner for Leicester after referee Andre Mariner overruled his strike upon VAR review following a foul during the build up.
The match started with a slow pace as both sides failed to create any chances in the initial twenty minutes. And then the first big chance of the match arrived on 26 minutes when Bruno Fernandes was sent through on goal but Kasper Schmeichel stood his ground to deny the Portuguese international.
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The visitors almost took the lead ten minutes later when Harvey Barnes’ effort from Maddison’s cross glanced over the bar. Meanwhile the hosts were dealt a blow when left-back Luke Shaw was replaced with Alex Telles on the break. It appears like an ankle injury to the England international.
United were without star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who was ruled out through illness. Therefore Rangnick used Fernandes as a false number nine, but the tactics didn’t work out and the interim manager changed it immediately after the restart by bringing on Marcus Rashford for Scott McTominay. In the absence of Ronaldo, United clearly lacked the cutting edge in attack.
Leicester deservedly took the lead on 63 minutes when Maddison delivered a brilliant cross to find Iheanacho inside the box, and the Nigerian headed home past David de Gea into the bottom corner.
United desperately needed a quick response and got it on 66 minutes. Schmeichel’s poor clearance was returned upfield by Varane, Fred moved towards the edge of the box and laid it to Fernandes whose shot was saved by Schmeichel but Fred continued his run to fire home the rebound from ten yards.
Few minutes later, Ihenacho tried to chip the ball over an onrushing De Gea but the ball ended up in the roof of the net. The United keeper was having a busy night as he then had to twist to the right to keep out Fofana’s header from Maddison’s cross.
After 80 minutes, Leicester thought they had the winner when Maddison put the ball inside the net with a sweeping finish but VAR ruled that Iheanacho had kicked Varane’s knee during the build up.
The result left United at the sixth spot with 51 points from 30 games, three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have two games in hand. Meanwhile Leicester climbed to ninth spot above Aston Villa.
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