The 2018-19 Premier League season kicked off with last season's runners-up Manchester United up against the 2016 champions Leicester City.

An early penalty kick put home by Paul Pogba gave United the early lead before Luke Shaw doubled the lead, seven minutes from time.

Jamie Vardy scored late on for the Foxes, but it was not enough to salvage a point for his side.

Early Start For The Home Side

Just three minutes in, United found themselves taking a spot-kick after the ball struck the top of Daniel Amartey's arm via a Wes Morgan deflection. Surprise starter and captain Pogba took the spot kick and buried into the top corner for an early 1-0 lead. 

After the penalty though, Leicester began to take control with James Maddison and Demarai Gray running the show. 15 minutes in, Wilfred Ndidi forced David de Gea into a save after Gray took control but his deflected ball found the Nigerian. 

Just a minute later, Ben Chilwell found space to drive down the left before allowing Gray to take over.

Kelechi Iheanacho eventually received the ball but was offside and even fired wide.

The Leicester dominance continued with Maddison and Gray really finding the space against the United defence, but there was just no end product with de Gea making saves and the United backline throwing their bodies in the way for blocks. 

Despite the resistance, United carried their slim lead into the half. 

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Shaw And Vardy Provide Late Drama

It was a quiet start to the second half, but the game would open up with Jamie Vardy coming on for Maddison as well as Rachid Ghezzal coming on for Amartey.

A couple minutes after the substitutions Juan Mata had the chance to double the lead with his effort going just wide after Pogba played Alexis Sanchez through with the Chilean laying it off to the Spaniard after Ricardo Pereira forced him to give the ball up.

Potential warning signs were coming for United as Vardy was quickest to a loose ball, beating Shaw to it. The Englishman sent a cross into Gray but his touch was not good enough to get it past de Gea, and Bailly's presence could have also thrown the young Englishman off as well.

Romelu Lukaku, who subbed on for Marcus Rashford, had a chance to close out the game after Sanchez was able to play him through. The Belgian was one-on-one with Kasper Schmeichel and had the ball on his favored left foot but the foot save from the Dane which knocked the ball over the bar still kept it at one-nil.

It was only five minutes later when Old Trafford roared as Shaw scored the first senior goal of his career.

Mata sent in a chipped ball to the left back only to take a poor touch, but his second touch past Pereira was excellent and fired it under Schmeichel to double the United lead.

With four minutes of stoppage time added on, Leicester were pushing, hoping to be able to salvage something out of this match. Pereira sent an over the top ball for Vardy, only for the Englishman to send over the bar.

Vardy was able to redeem himself however as once again, Pereira sent in a curling effort which avoided everyone and struck the post with Vardy putting away the rebound two minutes into stoppage time to send some nerves into the home side. 

With one last effort, Chilwell's corner found the head of Schmeichel who could only send it wide, giving the full three points to United.

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About the author
Noel John Alberto
Filipino-American sports journalist from Toms River, NJ. UMBC Graduate and aspiring physical therapist. Tennis editor and multi-sport coordinator for VAVEL USA. Writer for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Serie A sections of VAVEL UK. Sports aficionado. Host of the On The Line tennis podcast.