Second-placed United will take on fourth-placed Leicester City in the Premier League on Tuesday, May 11. Both teams are looking to consolidate their position on the league table, but the onus will be on the Foxes, who recently lost the third spot to Chelsea after a few bad results.
Leicester’s record over the final five games of the previous season looked like this – Draw against Arsenal, Loss against Bournemouth, Win over Sheffield United, Loss against Tottenham, and finally, Loss against Manchester United. They are yet to play their last three matches of the season, but they are currently on track to match that record, thanks to a draw and a loss against Southampton and Newcastle United, respectively.
Heartbreak awaited Brendan Rodgers and Co after their final five matches in 2020. It could well be a repeat of the same situation this time around. The Foxes are down to fourth with three matches left to play this season. They haven’t spent a single week outside of the top four this season, but they will be looking over their shoulders with Spurs, Liverpool, and West Ham United closing in behind.
While Leicester find themselves in a similar situation as compared to last year, Man United have advanced. This time last season, United were desperately chasing a top-four spot – one which they would get by the end of the season. Fast forward one year, and they are comfortably sitting second in the league table and have qualified for the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stage.
There is still plenty at stake for the Red Devils, for a loss on Tuesday would hand the title to their rivals, Manchester City. While a win would only delay the inevitable, the red half of Manchester could take solace in the fact that it did not happen due to their direct result.
Key Players
Mason Greenwood did not enjoy the start to the new season. In fact, until a few months ago, the youngster was largely peripheral in the United team. However, an excellent run of form saw him win his place back in the starting XI, and he has regained the form that saw him finish last season strongly. Greenwood has scored 11 times this season, but his strikes have been hugely important in saving – and often winning – Manchester United points.
Edinson Cavani scored again in Manchester United’s comeback win over Aston Villa on the weekend. His late strike followed two magnificent performances against AS Roma in the UEFA Europa League semi-final over the last ten days. In the two-legged tie, the Uruguayan scored four times, assisted two goals, and also won a penalty. He single-handedly ripped the Italian side apart, contributing directly to seven goals in an 8-5 aggregate win.
The only striker who can match Cavani in terms of form at the moment is Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian scored in Leicester City’s shock 2-4 loss to Newcastle United – just as he has been doing over the last months. Iheanacho moved to 18 goals for the season with his late strike, three clear of Jamie Vardy. He will hope to continue his goal-scoring run against Manchester United when the two teams meet midweek.
While Iheanacho is the one given the responsibility of scoring goals for the Foxes, James Maddison is tasked with most of the creative output. The Englishman is a key cog in Rodgers’ side, playing in between lines with great effect. The attacking midfielder has racked up double figures in both the goals and the assists departments this season. He has scored 11 times across all competitions and has set up ten goals.
Prediction
Form-wise there is a clear favorite ahead of the match between Manchester United and Leicester City. United come into the game on the back of yet another comeback win and a fantastic result in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Leicester City are on the other side of the form spectrum – the Foxes have slipped to fourth in the table after dropping points in their two previous matches.
Meanwhile, there is intense pressure on Leicester ahead of the fixture too. Rodgers’ players were in a similarly comfortable position last year before a late collapse derailed their campaign and saw them finish fifth on the final day of the previous season. Given what happened then, their recent form is a cause for worry. Furthermore, things do not get any easier for the Foxes from here on until the end of the season. After their match against Manchester United, they will play Chelsea and Tottenham in their final two matches of the season, with the likes of Liverpool, Spurs, and West Ham hot on their tails.
For Manchester United, the match against Leicester City provides another opportunity to delay Manchester City’s trophy celebrations. The champions-elect have had to wait longer than they would’ve hoped for to secure their fourth league title in three years. United were out of the race a few months ago, but they can still revel in the fact that their wins keep their rivals waiting to pop the champagne.
