MAN UTD 2, LEICESTER CITY 0
Manchester United’s perfect start to their Premier League campaign continued with victory against Leicester City at Old Trafford.
The table-topping Reds have won all three league games, scored 10 goals and conceded none – it doesn’t get any better than that.
After comprehensive four-goal wins against West Ham and Swansea, Leicester, champions two seasons ago, represented a much sterner challenge.
United needed to show patience, despite enjoying overwhelming territorial advantage.
And this time it was players on the bench who made the difference as substitutes Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini scored their goals in the last 20 minutes. It was he first of the season for both players.
It was all that United deserved as they had 69 per-cent possession and 22 goal attempts to 11 from the Foxes with the on target efforts seven against four.
Manager Jose Mourinho put his team’s great start down to their pre-season.
He said: “We had a very good pre-season and great conditions to work together in the beautiful atmosphere in Los Angeles.
“We played against good teams, the best team in the world twice. Pre-season was very complete and we played well.”
Mourinho deflected praise for his substitutions that changed the game saying it was about “the quality of the players” saying he was pleased for Rashford, Fellaini and Jesse Lingard and the impact they made on the game.
“The players are not just good, but motivated to help the team group whether they play from the start or come on as substitutes. They are solid and friendly and there is great empathy,” he explained.
Apart from his team’s goalscoring exploits, Mourinho praised his side’s defence.
He said: “Jamie Vardy is one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League, but was he today?
“He was very dangerous against Arsenal, but not against us as we were very solid.”
Mourinho was also pleased how his side didn’t wilt after Romelu Lukaku’s penalty miss when the game was goalless.
“After something like that happens often a team collapses or has a grey period, but we kept creating chances,” he said.
Anthony Martial replaced Rashford, the one change from the side that won at Swansea City.
The Leicester side included former Reds’ players Danny Simpson and Matty James.
United were almost as quick out of the blocks as world record 100m sprinter Usain Bolt who was a spectator at the game.
Only 22 seconds had gone when Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s shot from inside the six-yard box was blocked.
United moved the ball swiftly without creating many chances.
Then suddenly things clicked as in the space of two minutes Kasper Schmeichel saved well to deny Lukaku and Juan Mata while Mata also had an effort chalked out for offside which replays suggested was the incorrect decision.
Paul Pogba twice fired over in quick succession and Martial forced a diving save from Schmeichel as United did everything but find the net in the opening half hour.
United had a great chance to make the breakthrough seven minutes into the second half when they won a penalty.
Referee Michael Oliver had barely one minute earlier turned down a penalty appeal for handball when Martial’s cross struck Simpson’s hand. This time the match official pointed to the spot.
Lukaku stepped up, but Schmeichel guessed right and made a super stop low to his right to keep the game goalless.
The striker has missed two of his last three penalties while Schmeichel has saved three of his last five spot kicks.
United brought on Rashford for Mata midway through the second period as that breakthrough proved elusive.
And what an inspired substitution it proved as Rashford broken the deadlock within three minutes.
Rashford won a corner when his angled shot was deflected behind. Mkhitaryan took the dead ball and the young striker swept home a shot from eight yards. It was Mkhitaryan’s fifth assist in three games.
Schmeichel got his hand to the ball but could not keep out the rising shot.
Mourinho immediately made a second change as Mkhitaryan than made way for Fellaini. And that was soon followed by Lingard replacing Martial.
And another substitute struck the clinching second as Fellaini flicked in an angled shot from Lingard as the two replacements combined.
In stoppage time, United keeper David De Gea pulled off a remarkable save to deny Foxes’ substitute Andy King to ensure a third straight clean sheet.
And at the other end Lukaku’s frustrating afternoon was mirrored by his miss at the death as Wes Morgan deflected his goalbound shot over the bar for a corner.