Manchester United and Leicester City played out an enthralling 1-1 draw that was punctuated with entertainment, passion and drama, yet the result was not truly desired by either club.
Anthony Martial and Wes Morgan scored first-half goals in the stalemate that mirrors November’s meeting at the King Power Stadium, providing a blow to the Reds’ hopes of finishing in the Barclays Premier League top four with just three matches left to play. The Foxes could also have won the title at Old Trafford had they secured a victory, although their champagne remains on ice for the time being.
The magnitude of this fixture given Leicester’s potential title triumph was reflected inside the stadium, with dozens of media crews from around the world in attendance to report on what is arguably the biggest story in sport. Former England manager Fabio Capello was among the onlookers, working for Italian television, while the director’s box also accommodated a heavily-bearded club legend in Eric Cantona. There was even a rock star, with Kasabian guitarist and Foxes fan Sergio Pizzorno sitting among the fans for this much-discussed game.
Louis van Gaal had told his players prior to kick-off that they “cannot allow” Leicester to win the title at Old Trafford and the Reds were clearly in no mood to host a coronation, judging by the bright start that led to the deadlock being broken on eight minutes. The goal came from Anthony Martial, who met Antonio Valencia’s cross to execute a low near-post finish past Kasper Schmeichel. It was the 20-year-old’s 15th strike of the season and that means he is now United’s top scorer this season.
