Before Ruben Amorim takes to the Manchester United dugout, Ruud van Nistelrooy's interim spell ends most perfectly, maintaining his unbeaten record and recording a commanding 3-0 win over Leicester City. Manchester United put eight past the Foxes in two of four games under Van Nistelrooy‘s guidance. The club's iconic striker has left after Amorim opted to completely overhaul his backroom staff. Still, he sure has set himself in United's good books as a player and a coach.
Bruno Fernandes has been in excellent form since Erik ten Hag was sacked, bagging four goals and an assist in four games; the Manchester United captain looks to be back to his level best once again as he scored a brace against Leicester and capped off a man-of-the-match display. The hosts had an xG of just 0.70 compared to their opponent‘s 0.77. Still, they looked fairly comfortable throughout the game. They wrapped it up when substitute Alejandro Garnacho scored a beautiful curling effort from 20 yards out and regained some much-needed confidence after some poor displays. Several good performances on show for the Red Devils, with Manuel Ugarte slowly building up to his reputation and the transfer fees and showing why United signed him. The sparkling Amad Diallo provided a considerable dimension to the club’s attacking woes and cemented his place as the first-choice right winger.
Manchester United vs Leicester City Player Ratings
Bruno Fernandes - 9/10 MAN OF THE MATCH
The Portuguese magnifique is back to his stellar standards and has been key in about everything good Manchester United do. With a beautiful curling effort and a deflected header against Leicester, He now has four goals and an assist in the four games he’s played under Van Nistelrooy. He'll expect to be the focal point linking the attack under Ruben Amorim.
Andre Onana -8/10
Onana continues to become a reliable figure among the goalposts for Manchester United. Despite the horrid start last season, he’s been one of the very consistent players for the club this term and continues to answer all the criticism he had to face. Onana didn’t have much to deal with in the 90, except for a few scares. He denied Wilfred Ndidi in a critical 1v1 situation after he was put through on goal by Facundo Buonanotte and was reliable on the ball throughout, as always.
Matthjis De Ligt - 7/10
The colossal figure of the Dutchman seems to be the key to solving most of United’s defensive problems this season. With consistent 7-8/10 performances in almost every game, De Ligt is proving to be a successful signing for Manchester United along with Noussair Mazraoui and had a solid afternoon once again against Leicester.
Lisandro Martinez - 8/10
The partnership between Martinez and De Ligt seems to be gelling well for Manchester United. Despite a tricky start to the season for the Argentine, he has bounced back and is now as solid as ever. His immense reading of the game, robust tackling, and brilliant ball-playing help United greatly.
Noussair Mazraoui - 8/10
Bayern Munich must be regretting the sale of the Morrocan the most as he is proving to be a £15 million steal for Manchester United and has to be one of the best signings of the summer. Another brilliant performance that reeks of reliability at left-back for the defender. He handled Buonanotte well throughout the match despite the Argentine being one of Leicester‘s bright sparks on a difficult afternoon. He is one of the critical reasons United has looked stable defensively this season.
Diogo Dalot -4/10
Arguably Manchester United’s worst player of the afternoon. Despite the hosts winning 3-0 and barely having any threat from Leicester, Dalot struggled immensely with Abdul Fatawu‘s pace and trickery throughout the 45 minutes and gave away very needless freekicks, which on another day would have posed a huge threat to Manchester United. The Portuguese was subbed off for Jonny Evans in the 57th minute of the game and had an afternoon to forget.
Casemiro -7/10
The Brazilian is enjoying a very good run of games. It looks to be back to his best after finding a complimenting partner alongside him in midfield who compensates for his lack of legs, allowing him to perform more freely. This has given Casemiro to contribute not just in the defensive side of the game but also in the attack, and he was at the center of everything positive against Leicester.
Manuel Ugarte -9/10
Had it not been for Fernandes’ brace, the Man of the Match award was certainly for the Uruguayan. He was everywhere! Leicester simply could not handle the tenacity of the 23-year-old, and he didn’t let anyone have a sniff. His partnership with Casemiro in midfield is the perfect blend of everything Manchester United requires, both offensively and defensively and they perfectly complement each other. This also allows Fernandes to play with a little less responsibility and focus more on creating chances which he has been doing superbly lately. Ugarte cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet, and deservedly so.
Marcus Rashford - 5/10
It's an off day for England International. The number 10 didn’t do anything that would make Manchester United fans get off their seats, and it was reserved well by the Leicester fullback, James Justin. The 27-year-old was subbed off for Garnacho in the 57th minute, and everyone would agree with the decision.
Amad Diallo -8/10
Amad's performances have been nothing short of sensational in the last few weeks. He is proving Ten Hag wrong in the most perfect way. After single-handedly winning the game against PAOK midweek (2-0) with a brace, Amad assisted another goal, which was Fernandes’ second and could’ve had one for himself when he weaved past three to four defenders but couldn’t finish what could’ve been a goal of the season contender.
Rasmus Hojlund -4/10
A difficult afternoon for the young striker yet again. It was like a carbon copy of the Danish‘s display against PAOK. He lacked service but couldn’t do much when given the ball, either. Amorim would surely help the youngster develop into a complete forward and adjust better to the team.
Subs
Alejandro Garnacho -8/10
The Argentine scored the best goal of the game with a top curling effort and wrapped up the three points for Manchester United in style. Despite scoring a screamer, he refused to celebrate because of his recent displays, during which he felt he let the Manchester United fans down. His goal was certainly an apology that was accepted.
Christian Eriksen - 7/10
Joshua Zirkzee -6/10
Johnny Evans - 7/10
What Next for Manchester United?
After the international break, Manchester United will kickstart the new era under Ruben Amorim, the club's new manager. The Portuguese manager will manage his first game against Ipswich Town, managed by former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna.