Manchester United 3-1 Leicester: Three Talking Points

Manchester United moved into third place thanks to goals from Robin Van Persie, Radamel Falcao and an own-goal by Wes Morgan, all in the space of a 17-minute blitzkrieg towards the end of the first half. Although Leicester scored through Marcin Wasilewski late on, it was nothing more than a consolation as they failed to do the double over United and remained rooted to the bottom of the League. After a slow start that has been the norm this season, United quickly moved into gear once Van Persie calmly slotted home a right-footed volley.

RVP

Here are the major talking points from the game.

1. United avenge earlier Leicester loss

When Manchester United took a 3-1 lead at the King Power Stadium in September, few would have expected what was to happen next. For the first time, in the history of the Premier League,  United lost, having taken a two goal lead. So when United went 2-0 up on Saturday, you could certainly be forgiven for thinking that the side might be thinking about that Sunday in Leicester.

But Van Gaal’s side made no mistake this time around, as they controlled the game from the first minute to the last and notched a convincing home win over the Foxes. Although Leicester became the first newly-promoted side to score four or more goals against United, there was never any sign that was going to happen on Saturday. Even though Leicester scored with 10 minutes to go, it was nothing more than a consolation as the Red Devils won their ninth game at home this season and moved to within five points off second-placed City, who suddenly don’t look as far away.

2. Van Gaal still working out his best formation

Such is the attacking quality that Van Gaal has at his disposal that, even after a comfortable 3-1 home victory, the Dutchman can’t necessarily name his best formation and XI this season. Although United cruised to victory, there was a sense that the hosts were still playing within themselves and were still a long way away from clicking, especially going forward.

Against Leicester, Van Gaal employed what at times, resembled a 4-1-5, with Wayne Rooney playing alongside Adnan Januzaj, behind Angel Di Maria in a midfield diamond. With the emphasis clearly on attack and with players getting forward and looking forward at every opportunity, United certainly looked more threatening going forward, than they have been in the past few games. Yet, it would be a surprise if he chooses the same side against Cambridge on Tuesday or against West Ham in the league next Sunday. Although there are many things Van Gaal can be criticised for, not being flexible isn’t one of them and as long as the Red Devils keep winning, they are unlikely to worry too much about the formation they employ and how they manage to get the win.

3. Di Maria still finding his feet

When United signed Angel Di Maria for a British transfer record fee in the summer, there was a buzz around Old Trafford. For the first time, in a long time, United had gone out and spent a lot of money on an established world-class player, one that will certainly improve an already impressive attack. After  a whirlwind start in which Di Maria scored and created plenty of goals in his opening few games, injury forced the Argentine to take a break, just when he was starting to hit peak form.

But ever since his return from injury, the 26-year-old has struggled to have the impact he had at the start of the season. Although playing up front, a position he is far comfortable at, hasn’t helped, Di Maria has certainly looked a shadow of his former self in the past few weeks. Although he was finally playing in a familiar role against Leicester, his performance was far from sublime. The Argentine’s final ball wasn’t always the best and whether it was shooting high or picking the wrong pass, he showed that he is still not quite near his best, even if he is finally playing in a position that he prefers. Only time will tell, if Di Maria can recapture the form he showed when he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League last season.