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Harry Maguire completed his Manchester United redemption in the 93rd minute by nodding in Bruno Fernandes’s spiralling free-kick from the left to sweep the holders into the fifth round. Before then, Joshua Zirkzee’s 67th-minute equaliser appeared the lifeline United needed to keep a shaky FA Cup defence alive.
Having bested Leicester City 8-2 on aggregate in United’s two previous meetings with their visitor, Ruben Amorim’s side were what they are near-constantly under him: seriously disjointed. Introducing the jet-heeled Alejandro Garnacho at the break transformed United’s fortune as he was key to Zirkzee’s strike. But United had diced with being eliminated by Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s first-half goal against opponents with 12 fewer points and candidates for relegation.
Cometh added time, cometh Maguire: from being for sale to Cup hero – a lovely tale, unless you were a Leicester fan, their disappointment being made worse by their former centre-back being offside for the winner, with no video assistant referee.
A porous rearguard is one of the problems that plagues United so when Patson Daka outfoxed Leny Yoro and Maguire, with ease, and teed up Jordan Ayew, early alarm bells clanged. The No 18’s effort was fierce and straight at André Onana and the home goalkeeper saved.
As a forward force United were sluggish. A Manuel Ugarte cross and a missed touch near his goal by the visiting No 1, Mads Hermansen, were the sole “threats” from those in red. Then, at last, they turned up the heat: a crossfield Diogo Dalot pass sent Patrick Dorgu sprinting upfield and United claimed a corner, though Amad Diallo’s delivery, from the right, was defended calmly by Leicester.
This was the flank Amorim, intriguingly, fielded Dorgu on, rather than the expected left, the Dane’s debut offering a first sight of the head coach’s first recruit in action. The 20-year-old, signed in the winter window for £25m from Lecce, was a promising blend of pace, neat touches, and muscularity, plus potency off either boot, as with a right-footed effort aimed a little high.
Dorgu’s opening period offering was a sole glimmer for United, who seriously lacked inspiration. Instead, the Premier League’s third-bottom side possessed the thrust, a De Cordova-Reid burst through an inside-right channel again turning the home team.
A feature of the half was Amorim either dropping to his haunches in despair or shaking his head with the same emotion. Concern, too, surely coursed through the 40-year-old when, down Leicester’s left, Ayew flipped the ball back to Luke Thomas and he aimed a delivery into the area. Noussair Mazraoui headed clear for a corner but, when Thomas hit this in from the right, United watched as the ball bounced across the area.
Crumbs rather than scraps was the fare served up from United at the other end. A Dorgu foray claimed a corner on his wing, Diallo pinged it in, Hermansen clutched the ball, dropped, those United players near became excited for a moment, then the keeper recovered.
Now: joy for Van Nistelrooy’s men and a too-familiar sense of despair for Amorim’s. First, Bilal El Khannouss knocked Ugarte off the ball. His cross, from the left, was stabbed goalwards by Wilfred Ndidi, Onana saved, but the keeper next saw the ball go in off De Cordova-Reid.
Yet again United were sliced through as if juniors playing a seniors side. Clever from Leicester, hapless from the opponent who conceded on 41 minutes and, when Michael Salisbury blew for the break, the referee’s whistle was followed by the clear sound of boos from a thoroughly disgruntled Old Trafford congregation.
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For the second half Dorgu was replaced by Garnacho in a reshuffle that had Diallo taking the Dane’s berth. A strange decision from Amorim to remove his team’s sole flicker of hope? Certainly, unless this was about the player having taken a knock or having only 45 minutes in him as he moves up to speed with his colleagues.
Garnacho, instantly, burned down the left and splayed Leicester: a fine start but he failed to find a teammate and once more a United attack petered out. Leicester had more fizz. Ugarte, enduring a poor display, could not stop the live-wire El Khannouss swerving around him and on the No 11 went, United just about stopping Daka prospering from the winger’s run.
With the clock running down on the holders’ chances, Amorim removed Kobbie Mainoo for Zirkzee and within moments Ugarte sent in Garnacho. At close range he unloaded, the ball ricocheted off a Wout Faes’s boot over Hermansen but Caleb Okoli smashed the ball against the bar and the keeper grabbed it.
Soon, Garnacho’s zest created the leveller via a shoulder-drop and killer ball in: Rasmus Højlund’s shot was blocked and Zirkzee finished. Towards the end, Garnacho had a golden chance to set up either of the forwards but failed.
Now, though, up stepped Maguire.
