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On Sunday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went into the fox's den and wrestled away a win. It means that United have now secured 22 of the available 24 points under the Norwegian and are on a brilliant run since his appointment in mid December.
When the January transfer window closed without any defensive reinforcements for Manchester United, a lot of fans were worried. Even though the leak at the back had temporarily stopped under their new boss, United still looked vulnerable at the back in recent games.
Solskjaer had reiterated his satisfaction with the squad at his disposal and true to their gaffer's belief, the United team managed to come away from the King Power Stadium with a precious clean sheet. Even though they rode their luck on a few occasions, the Red Devils were the better team on the night and deserved the 3 points that took them to 5th position in the table.
On a night when United were not at their brilliant best, 5 men stood up above the rest and took charge of the proceedings. Today we take a look at the 5 men who won the game for their Norwegian manager.
#5 Eric Bailly
After the antics of Phil Jones against Burnley, Solskjaer put the English defender on the bench and started with Eric Bailly alongside Victor Lindelof. It was a move that looked like the correct decision as soon as the game started, because Bailly's speed and strength was what was required on the night for United.
The Ivorian has played alongside Lindelof before and those two are probably United's safest defensive pairing. On Sunday, Bailly was back to his best, even though there is still an eccentric side to his game. However, his presence ensured that United were always comfortable no matter how hard Leicester knocked on the door.
Bailly's greatest strengths are his speed and physicality. Against Leicester, he was the steel that United needed alongside Lindelof, as the Ivorian threw himself at the ball on quite a few occasions to stop Leicester's attacks. His fearlessness is a welcome addition to this United defense and Bailly was an essential component of the United team that came away with a clean sheet.
Player Rating - 7.5/10
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#4 Victor Lindelof
The Swede had been the pick of the United defense of late and had dealt with some stellar strikers with relative ease. On Sunday, Lindelof had another test of his character when he came face to face with Jamie Vardy, a cunning fox in the box with amazing efficiency in front of goal.
Vardy had previously given United defense a lot of nightmares, but on the night, Lindelof dealt with him extremely well. The English forward was restricted to a bit part role and was not allowed any time on the ball. As a result, Vardy had a relatively quiet night - he only had one big chance from a set piece - and Leicester missed his goal-scoring instincts dearly.
But Lindelof did not just deal with Vardy, he was massive against the entire Leicester attack, rising the highest and positioning himself well. Having Bailly alongside seems to bring the best out of him and when presented with the ball, the Swedish defender's qualities were evident again. It is now clear why Solskjaer did not indulge in the winter transfer window for a defender - Lindelof currently looks like a massive new signing and he is getting better with each game.
Player Rating - 8/10
#3 David de Gea
Manchester United can always count on David de Gea when required, and against Leicester, the Red Devils needed their Spanish goalkeeper on quite a few occasions. Even though the home side threw their all at United, the away side held on and gave away very few clear-cut chances on the night.
Leicester had 17 shots on the night, however, only 6 of those were on target. Every time they piled forward, searching for the equalizer, the Manchester United defense stayed compact and gave their all to prevent the home side from scoring. On the few occasions that they did penetrate the away defense, Leicester City came up with a defiant de Gea.
Even though he saw very little action, De Gea was alert and required no wake up calls. He made at least 3 impressive saves, including denying Vardy from close range and stepping up whenever United needed him.
Part of Solskjaer's brilliant run has been due to the fact that he has the world's best goalkeeper protecting his goal and the Norwegian will be desperate to tie the Spaniard to a new deal soon.
Player Rating - 8/10
#2 Paul Pogba
It is the mark of brilliant players that even on off days; they can change the tide of the game in an instance. Pogba did not enjoy his best night at the King Power Stadium and was also guilty of being too relaxed at times, however, it was a moment of brilliance from United's talisman that shifted the balance in the favor of the away team.
The France international started in his usual free role, but was a bit withdrawn at times, perhaps a bit too wary of the Leicester offense. He tried to initiate counters and aimed gorgeous balls at his wide men, however, the final ball was missing at times from him on the night. Yet, when he did weld his magic wand, it was a moment worth savoring.
Picking up a stray ball, he almost knew that Rashford would make a run through the channels - the telepathic abilities between those two has helped United a lot in recent times. Pogba hooped the ball first time into the path of his forward and Rashford did the rest.
Then there was that special moment in the dying moments of the second half when he brushed aside 3 Leicester players and went on a run that showcased his power and skills. Even though he was not at his best on the night, Pogba still did the job when it mattered and helped United win the game.
Player Rating - 8.5/10
#1 Marcus Rashford
The Englishman is Solskjaer's trump card and scored the all important goal on the night that won United the game. It is clear that the Norwegian thinks very highly of Rashford, which is why he put Lukaku on the bench and started with his young striker at No. 9.
However, early in the game, the move raised a few questions, as Rashford missed an easy opportunity to put United ahead. Yet, perhaps the biggest change in the Englishman under Solskjaer has been his confidence. Young Marcus Rashford is no longer afraid to try and to keep trying and his relentlessness brought United the lead in the 9th minute.
As soon as Pogba received the ball, Rashford knew that he would get the service if he timed his run well. Once he managed to stay onside, he still had a lot to do. First of all, he took the lofted ball into his stride with the perfect first touch and then finished with a ferocious volley that left Schmeichel with no chance.
The English Striker did knock on the door a few more times, but it was his clinical finishing early in the first half that proved to be the difference between the sides.
Player Rating - 9/10
