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| Leicester City and Jamie Vardy stun Manchester United in eight-goal thriller | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Football, bloody hell. It was difficult to think of anything other than the famous Sir Alex Ferguson quote to sum up an extraordinary match that delivered a famous Leicester City victory and ended with Manchester United making history for all the wrong reasons. This was the first time in 853 Premier League matches United have surrendered a two-goal lead and lost. Just let that statistic soak in for a minute. | Football, bloody hell. It was difficult to think of anything other than the famous Sir Alex Ferguson quote to sum up an extraordinary match that delivered a famous Leicester City victory and ended with Manchester United making history for all the wrong reasons. This was the first time in 853 Premier League matches United have surrendered a two-goal lead and lost. Just let that statistic soak in for a minute. |
| Once upon a time United were famed for their own acts of escapology but nothing is quite how it used to be. There was something surreal about seeing United, from a position of total control when Ander Herrera made it 3-1 just before the hour mark, totally lose their way. United conceded four times in 21 chaotic second-half minutes on a day when a former non-league striker ran their defence ragged. | Once upon a time United were famed for their own acts of escapology but nothing is quite how it used to be. There was something surreal about seeing United, from a position of total control when Ander Herrera made it 3-1 just before the hour mark, totally lose their way. United conceded four times in 21 chaotic second-half minutes on a day when a former non-league striker ran their defence ragged. |
| Jamie Vardy, who was playing for Stocksbridge Park Steels four years ago, in the eighth tier of English football, had the game of his life. The Leicester forward set up the first, won two penalties and scored the fourth. He even had a hand in Leicester’s other goal, when Dean Hammond’s shot struck him and bounced kindly for Esteban Cambiasso, on his first Premier League start, to make it 3-3. The Argentinian celebrated the goal as if it meant as much to him as any he scored for Internazionale. | Jamie Vardy, who was playing for Stocksbridge Park Steels four years ago, in the eighth tier of English football, had the game of his life. The Leicester forward set up the first, won two penalties and scored the fourth. He even had a hand in Leicester’s other goal, when Dean Hammond’s shot struck him and bounced kindly for Esteban Cambiasso, on his first Premier League start, to make it 3-3. The Argentinian celebrated the goal as if it meant as much to him as any he scored for Internazionale. |
| In the eyes of the United players, Leicester’s first penalty, which was converted by David Nugent, was the turning point and should never have come about. Wayne Rooney was still protesting after the final whistle, the England captain furious Mark Clattenburg had penalised Rafael da Silva for a foul on Vardy, when the Leicester forward had barged into the United full-back seconds earlier. | In the eyes of the United players, Leicester’s first penalty, which was converted by David Nugent, was the turning point and should never have come about. Wayne Rooney was still protesting after the final whistle, the England captain furious Mark Clattenburg had penalised Rafael da Silva for a foul on Vardy, when the Leicester forward had barged into the United full-back seconds earlier. |
| Louis van Gaal refused to point the finger at Clattenburg and instead blamed his players. Even if the penalty was soft, the United manager felt Da Silva was inviting trouble when he challenged Vardy in the area. Van Gaal also made the point that, with United still 3-2 ahead, his players had no reason to hit the panic button and should have been able to dominate possession and see out the game. That they were unable to do so against a promoted club rubbed salt into the wound. | Louis van Gaal refused to point the finger at Clattenburg and instead blamed his players. Even if the penalty was soft, the United manager felt Da Silva was inviting trouble when he challenged Vardy in the area. Van Gaal also made the point that, with United still 3-2 ahead, his players had no reason to hit the panic button and should have been able to dominate possession and see out the game. That they were unable to do so against a promoted club rubbed salt into the wound. |
| It was, all in all, a chastening experience for United. By the time Leonardo Ulloa had made it 5-3 from the penalty spot, after Tyler Blackett was sent off for a professional foul on Vardy, the Leicester supporters were singing “we want six” and cheering every pass. | It was, all in all, a chastening experience for United. By the time Leonardo Ulloa had made it 5-3 from the penalty spot, after Tyler Blackett was sent off for a professional foul on Vardy, the Leicester supporters were singing “we want six” and cheering every pass. |
| At that point Radamel Falcao and Ángel di María, who had executed a glorious chip to put United 2-0 ahead early on, were watching from the bench, after being withdrawn with the score at 3-3. As impressive as Falcao and Di María were at times as part of United’s galactico forward line, it still feels like a huge oversight that no one at Old Trafford thought to make strengthening central defence a priority when £150m was splurged in the summer. | At that point Radamel Falcao and Ángel di María, who had executed a glorious chip to put United 2-0 ahead early on, were watching from the bench, after being withdrawn with the score at 3-3. As impressive as Falcao and Di María were at times as part of United’s galactico forward line, it still feels like a huge oversight that no one at Old Trafford thought to make strengthening central defence a priority when £150m was splurged in the summer. |
| Enough of United’s shortcomings. Leicester deserve huge praise for having the fortitude to twice come back from two goals down. Nigel Pearson was bold enough to go man-for-man with United, with the Leicester manager opting for a midfield diamond in which the experienced Cambiasso sat at the base and showed some lovely touches. Further forward Vardy’s aggressive running caused United no end of problems, especially on the flanks, where neither Da Silva nor Marcos Rojo looked comfortable. | Enough of United’s shortcomings. Leicester deserve huge praise for having the fortitude to twice come back from two goals down. Nigel Pearson was bold enough to go man-for-man with United, with the Leicester manager opting for a midfield diamond in which the experienced Cambiasso sat at the base and showed some lovely touches. Further forward Vardy’s aggressive running caused United no end of problems, especially on the flanks, where neither Da Silva nor Marcos Rojo looked comfortable. |
| Not that anyone could have predicted what would happen when United raced into a two-goal lead inside 16 minutes. Falcao, making his first start for United, created the first, expertly rolling Ritchie de Laet before delivering a perfect cross for Robin van Persie to head home, via a deflection off Liam Moore, at the far post. Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Di María exchanged passes with Rooney before delightfully lifting the ball over the stranded Kasper Schmeichel. Think Karel Poborsky at Euro 96. | Not that anyone could have predicted what would happen when United raced into a two-goal lead inside 16 minutes. Falcao, making his first start for United, created the first, expertly rolling Ritchie de Laet before delivering a perfect cross for Robin van Persie to head home, via a deflection off Liam Moore, at the far post. Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Di María exchanged passes with Rooney before delightfully lifting the ball over the stranded Kasper Schmeichel. Think Karel Poborsky at Euro 96. |
| Leicester looked like they would be blown away by United’s firepower but, to their credit, they got back in the game straight from the kick-off. With Rojo caught on his heels, Vardy nipped in front of the left-back and got to the byline – the ball looked perilously close to being out – before digging out a superb cross for Ulloa to emphatically head home. Jonny Evans was caught in no man’s land, marking space, and limped off soon afterwards. | Leicester looked like they would be blown away by United’s firepower but, to their credit, they got back in the game straight from the kick-off. With Rojo caught on his heels, Vardy nipped in front of the left-back and got to the byline – the ball looked perilously close to being out – before digging out a superb cross for Ulloa to emphatically head home. Jonny Evans was caught in no man’s land, marking space, and limped off soon afterwards. |
| Falcao hit the bar early in the second half before Herrera, showing a nice piece of improvisation, flicked Di Maria’s poorly hit shot past the wrong-footed Schmeichel. That should have been that but Nugent’s contentious penalty, followed by Cambiasso’s low left-footed shot, brought Leicester level within seven minutes. | Falcao hit the bar early in the second half before Herrera, showing a nice piece of improvisation, flicked Di Maria’s poorly hit shot past the wrong-footed Schmeichel. That should have been that but Nugent’s contentious penalty, followed by Cambiasso’s low left-footed shot, brought Leicester level within seven minutes. |
| Leicester’s fourth arrived after Juan Mata, on for Di María, had his pocket picked inside his own half. De Laet fed Vardy, who had ocean’s of space to run into before calmly beating David de Gea. Ulloa’s penalty – his fifth goal in as many games – put a remarkable match beyond doubt. | Leicester’s fourth arrived after Juan Mata, on for Di María, had his pocket picked inside his own half. De Laet fed Vardy, who had ocean’s of space to run into before calmly beating David de Gea. Ulloa’s penalty – his fifth goal in as many games – put a remarkable match beyond doubt. |
| “When you’re 3-1 down against Manchester United, to win the game – regardless of how people want to view where they’re at at the moment – I think it’s a decent result,” Pearson said. “It says a lot about [the character]. And I think we’ve got a bit more quality than people are maybe aware of.” | “When you’re 3-1 down against Manchester United, to win the game – regardless of how people want to view where they’re at at the moment – I think it’s a decent result,” Pearson said. “It says a lot about [the character]. And I think we’ve got a bit more quality than people are maybe aware of.” |
| Man of the match Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) | Man of the match Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) |