Man Utd 1-2 Leicester: 3 points keep UCL dream alive for Foxes

After the goal, Solskjær replaced the young cameo’s with more potent threats; Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, and Bruno Fernandes. Perhaps a sign of inferiority, but Rodgers adjusted himself replacing the tired legs of Jamie Vardy with an energetic – if not slightly chaotic – Hamza Choudhury. This allowed the Foxes to shift into a 5-4-1, which is important as they no longer required a shift of structure once in possession, as the 5-4-1 has wingers and full-backs in its composition. Simplifying the game, whilst keeping the defensive solidarity, for the Leicester City defence was astute.

It’s definitely nerve-wracking, but the compact deep-block, defend all balls into the box and occasionally press out of the structure, is actually very functional with this set of players. Rodgers has a very good success switching to this shape and tactic to close games out. I think an important caveat is the quality of the opposition, which looked leggy in the second-half due to their lack of match sharpened, allowing the Foxes to shine.

Overall, the manner of the result will be forgotten after the season has concluded, but the magnitude – and importance – of the three points will not be overlooked. Leicester City still have two games that they require points in to confirm UEFA Champions League football, but leaving Manchester with maximum points has kept the dream of elite European football alive. Now it’s time to see if the Foxes can overcome Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea side to achieve some silverware this season in the FA Cup.