Jamie Vardy rolled the ball into the Manchester United net to huge cheers and about 10 minutes later Ruud van Nistelrooy’s name echoed around this stadium. The only problem for Leicester was Vardy sent the ball over the line during a break in play while Ayden Heaven, forced off early in the second half, received treatment, and it was the United supporters singing about Van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman took charge of United in the reverse fixture in November, signing off from his spell in interim charge with a 3-0 victory, but this time he was on the receiving end of the same scoreline.
That four-match unbeaten run in charge of United must feel halcyonic for Van Nistelrooy, who has lost 13 of his past 14 league matches. The numbers make grisly reading: Leicester have not scored at the King Power Stadium since early December and after firing blanks in this defeat they recorded unwanted history, becoming the first Premier League team to lose seven home matches in a row without scoring.
Related: Leicester v Manchester United: Premier League updates – live
The night quickly turned into a procession for United when Alejandro Garnacho doubled United’s advantage midway through the second half, building on Rasmus Højlund’s first goal for more than 22 hours. It was an imperfect United performance but, frankly, it did not matter against opposition silently sliding towards relegation. Bruno Fernandes capped the scoring in the 90th minute with a superb finish from the edge of the box.
It would probably be kind to refer to this as a slow burner, a distinctly low quality contest befitting of a game between teams who began in 15th and 19th. There was a general shoddiness, a theme that has stalked both teams this season: overcooked passes, ballooned crosses, unforced errors aplenty. At the same time, while Vardy registered the first shot, a weak, stabbed effort which André Onana pawed clear, United always appeared most likely to strike.
Højlund’s deft touch on halfway cued United’s first move of note, but the attack fizzled out when Diogo Dalot’s cross was blocked. Then James Justin prevented Dalot reaching Noussair Mazraoui’s cross at the back post. Christian Eriksen, one of three players promoted to United’s starting lineup with Ruben Amorim mindful of the churn of matches, cracked a first-time effort against a post after a short-corner routine, the Denmark midfielder whipping a right-foot shot at goal from the edge of the 18-yard box after exchanging passes with Fernandes.
It would be over-egging it to say it was a matter of time but United took the lead approaching the half-hour, the relief tangible as Højlund buried a shot across goal. Fernandes, United’s biggest asset by some distance, was invariably involved in the buildup. Fernandes threaded a pass through for Højlund, who chested the ball after Boubakary Soumaré missed his attempted clearance. Wout Faes hesitated to pressure the United striker and then reneged altogether.
Højlund then got the ball out from under his feet and while he appeared to dawdle slightly – no wonder given his barren run – he sent his right-foot effort into the far corner past an exposed Mads Hermansen. Dalot offered Højlund a hearty pat on the back and now the away supporters were singing Amorim’s name. Just like that, after 21-and-a-bit matches without finding the net, Højlund handed United the lead. Still, it spoke volumes that Heaven, on his first Premier League start, was arguably one of United’s standout performers. The 18-year-old, signed from Arsenal in the last transfer window, did well to recover the ball when Patson Daka was released on goal, though Daka’s failure to seize the opportunity was also reflective of a player who has struggled to be a genuine threat at this level.
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It was Heaven who made a smart block when Daka was presented with a chance to strike inside the box before the interval and the centre-back then got himself in the way of Bilal El Khannouss’s effort. Manuel Ugarte also made a crucial intervention to stop Wilfred Ndidi reaching a Victor Kristiansen cross unmarked.
It was a shame then to see Heaven carried off five minutes into the second half after injuring himself extinguishing a Leicester attack. Soumaré wriggled clear of a wreckage on halfway, played in Vardy inside the left channel and the Leicester captain sent the ball into the box. Daka was lurking at the back post but Heaven, who was replaced by the 21-year-old Toby Collyer, made life difficult and Daka skewed a shot wide.
United thought they had a second before the hour when Højlund slipped in Garnacho, who cut inside Luke Thomas and thrashed a shot into the far corner. Garnacho and Højlund sat on the advertising hoardings by way of celebration, but prematurely. Garnacho was offside.
Garnacho would return to the hoardings 10 minutes later, after swivelling on to a pass from Fernandes and blasting a first-time effort in at Hermansen’s near post. Fernandes made it game, set and match in the 90th minute. United fans enjoyed rattling through the back catalogue of chants about famous names: Rooney, Solskjær, Cole and Van Nistelrooy. But it is in Amorim whom they trust to lead this new era.
