Although Manchester United ran out 3-0 victors against Leicester City, manager Erik ten Hag warned his team that they cannot start as lackadaisical as they did against the Midlands club when they face Barcelona and Newcastle United in the coming week.
United enter a pivotal week, the biggest in the club’s recent history, with the welcoming of Barcelona to Old Trafford in the second leg of their Europa League play-off poised at 2-2 and then next Sunday’s trip to Wembley for the League Cup final.
Ten Hag fumed at his team’s “mess” of a start against Leicester and admitted that the scoreline flattered his side after the ragged start against Brendan Rodgers’ men. Marcus Rashford scored a double to take his tally to 24 goals — his most in a single season for the club — before substitute Jadon Sancho wrapped up the game.
“I was really unhappy with our performance,” Ten Hag said of the first half. “We have to follow the rules and principles from our way of playing. When you don’t, it is getting a mess and when you face a good opponent like Leicester is you concede chances.
“It was only due to David De Gea that we don’t concede a goal, so we are really lucky in half-time to be 1-0 up. Of course, a great pass by Bruno [Fernandes], great finish Rashy, but for the rest it was rubbish. Second half we play like the principles and rules of the game from us, then we transfer the game plan and you see we are dictating the game.”
De Gea’s saves to stop Harvey Barnes and Kelechi Iheanacho were crucial in preventing Leicester from taking a first-half lead. In turn, the United ‘keeper equalled Peter Schmeichel’s record of 180 clean sheets for the club.
“There are moments you need the keeper and he had already many moments in this season when he was so important, that he saves points,” Ten Hag added. “That’s his job, he knows that but in the right moment you have to do it. Today the team needed him because it was a mess and he did the job and they were brilliant saves.”
United moved back within five points of Premier League leaders Arsenal with the win, but Ten Hag brushed aside any excited chatter by saying “it’s February, it’s not about title race”.
Rodgers: 'It's a sending off'
As for Leicester, they could not extent their four-game unbeaten run and returned home ruing what might have been after a bright start to a match in which Rodgers felt Marcel Sabitzer should have been sent off for a challenge on Wout Faes.
“It’s a sending-off — straight leg onto the knee,” Rodgers said. “How it wasn’t looked at and deemed that, it was incredible really when I see it. I don’t know [why it wasn’t looked at]. We’ve seen the last few weeks some of the decisions and that. Someone has said it was maybe after an incident but I don’t really buy that one.
“If you look at Arsenal’s penalty against Manchester City, Eddie Nketiah is in on goal, he has a shot but the follow through makes it a penalty, which makes it a foul. In this instance, even if the play has stopped, he’s followed through and straight-legged him right on his knee.”