Live Commentary: Manchester United vs Leicester City

Welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford.


The Red Devils may have recovered from a stuttering run with victory over Northampton Town in midweek, but defeat this afternoon will make it three in a row in the league for Jose Mourinho for just the second time in his managerial career.

It has been a slow start in the league for champions Leicester, too, as they have suffered setbacks on each of their previous two away outings, although a comfortable victory over Burnley last time out suggests that they could be back to the form of last season.

Follow all of the action as it unfolds with our extensive updates below.

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind, Pogba, Herrera, Rashford, Mata, Lingard, Ibrahimovic

LEICESTER CITY: Zieler, Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs, Mahrez, Drinkwater, Amartey, Albrighton, Slimani, Vardy

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Fosu-Mensah, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Young, Rooney

LEICESTER CITY SUBS: Hernandez, King, Hamer, Schlupp, Okazaki, Gray, Ulloa





Mike Dean blows his full-time whistle to bring the game to a close at Old Trafford. The contest was essentially over at the midway point, with Manchester United finding themselves four goals ahead following a pulsating 20-minute spell in the first half. Four different scorers and, more importantly for Jose Mourinho, three points after two league defeats on the spin. For the Foxes, meanwhile, this is a third away loss in succession and already the title looks out of reach. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match.


90+3 min FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 4-1 LEICESTER CITY

90+2 min United just seeing the remainder of the game through, much like they have done throughout this second half really. Around 60 seconds left to play at Old Trafford, with Leicester unable to get the ball into the final third to cause some damage.

90 min Three minutes of added time to come at Old Trafford, before Leicester are put out of their misery. It could have been so much worse for them had United not taken their foot off the gas, but credit to the Foxes for not completely rolling over in the second half.

88 min Ibrahimovic is still on the field after those three alterations, desperate to prolong his scoring run on home soil. Just no real momentum in this second half, though, with very few attempts on target at either end. City have done well on the balance of things this half.

86 min MANCHESTER UNITED! Ashley Young is brought on for Juan Mata in the closing stages of the contest. Pogba has been announced as the sponsors' Man of the Match, which is just about justified for his part in the firs-half onslaught.

84 min MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Wayne Rooney is introduced for the final six minutes, taking the place of Marcus Rashford. Far from vintage from United in this second half, although all they had to do after the restart was remain professional.

82 min MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Michael Carrick, a little unlucky to be dropped today, is on for Lingard for the remainder of the match. Leicester now asking plenty of questions, coming close through Drinkwater, but time is now well and truly against them.

80 min SAVE! Gray has been very good since coming on halfway through this game, albeit with essentially nothing to lose. His latest attempt may well have been an overhit cross, but either way it forced De Gea to turn the ball over at full reach.

78 min Valencia gets the beating of his man on the right and flashes a cross into the box, which Ibrahimovic cannot quite turn home at the back post. He will be disappointed not to have prolonged his scoring run on home soil, which stands at six in six at United and PSG.

76 min YELLOW CARD! Not seen a great deal of Rashford in this second half, but he is given a ball to chase down which draws a foul from Danny Simpson. The former United product is shown the game's second yellow as a result.

74 min Gray loses out to Herrera, who can only blast the ball high over the bar. Rooney, Carrick and Young have just been sent to warm-up, with a little over 15 minutes of this match left to play. City have been unable to truly build on that Gray goal.

72 min Hard to be too critical of United after that incredible first-half display, but they have certainly let Leicester off the hook here. I'm surprised Mourinho has opted against bringing on Carrick alongside Pogba, or even Fellaini, just to freshen things up.

70 min SAVE! A good chance for King to pull back a second goal for his side, as he just holds his run to be picked out unmarked 12 yards from goal. Usually a clinical finisher, the Welshman sends his shot straight down the throat of De Gea.

68 min SHOT! Lingard gets over the ball a little too much as he sends a shot over the bar from the edge of the box, before Ibrahimovic slotted one inches wide. Just about the hosts' best chance of the half to add to their tally. Mourinho must surely be thinking about a change or two at this point to freshen things up.

66 min It might sound strange to say with a three-goal margin, but this is a crucial moment in the game for United. Leicester have been on top since Gray's goal, looking for a second to put the home players a little more on edge.

64 min LEICESTER CITY SUB! Albrighton has been replaced by Jeffrey Schlupp with a little over 25 minutes still to play at Old Trafford. Ranieri looking to give Slimani a little more support in attack, with a second goal really making things interesting.

62 min Well this is likely to be a mere consolation, but what a goal it was from Damarai Gray. The half-time sub cut inside from the left and picked out the top corner in a superb manner, beating De Gea with ease to give Leicester the faintest of hopes.

61 min GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 4-1 LEICESTER CITY (DAMARAI GRAY)

60 min We are now an hour into the match at Old Trafford - a time in the game where Mourinho must surely be thinking about making a change or two. No real rush to do so, but this is a good chance to give some players a run out in a more positive environment.

58 min A promising run from Gray ends with the winger being clattered into on the edge of the box, but referee Mike Dean claims that Bailly fairly won the ball back. Still awaiting for first on-target attempt of the second half.

56 min So, so easy for United down the left-hand flank at the moment. Ibrahimovic drifts towards that side to pick up possession, sending in a pass for Mata at the second attempt which is well blocked side 10 yards from goal.

54 min An extremely rare attack for the visitors, as Slimani looks to get at United's backline. An awkward bounce nearly fell nicely for him, but De Gea was quickly out to collect the ball ahead of the former Sporting Lisbon striker.

52 min Leicester need a couple of goals to make things interesting once more, yet that seems impossible to happen at this stage with Slimani cutting a lone figure up top. United instead the side probing away, as Ibrahimovic is just about beaten to a header six yards out by Huth.

50 min YELLOW CARD! Not a great deal happening at the moment, with Leicester looking to keep things far tighter, but Huth is now walking a tightrope after picking up a yellow for a late challenge on Pogba.

48 min A mix-up between Morgan and Simpson early in the second half suggests that Leicester are still rattled by that United onslaught in the first half. A case of damage limitation now, with star men Vardy and Mahrez playing no further part in the game.

46 min RESTART! We are back under way at Old Trafford, where Ranieri has inevitably made some changes. Andy King and Damarai Gray are both on, with Vardy and Mahrez off as the Foxes now turn attention to the midweek tie with Porto in the Champions League.

Halfway through this heavyweight tussle in the Premier League and, essentially, it is game over. Leicester City, the defending top-flight champions, have completely collapsed at Old Trafford to go into the break four goals down. That big decision to drop Wayne Rooney is proving an inspired one at this stage.

45+2 min HALF TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 4-0 LEICESTER CITY

45 min Damage limitation for the visitors now, having shipped four goals in the space of 20 first-half minutes. Vardy almost pulled one back after Mahrez cut the ball back, but he was outmuscled and the chance went begging.

43 min Wow! It's a fourth goal of the afternoon for United, with half time still a couple of minutes away! Pogba is the latest scorer - his first since rejoining the club from Juventus in the summer. Again it came via a corner, which the Frenchman flicked home after beating his man seven yards out.

42 min GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 4-0 LEICESTER CITY (PAUL POGBA)

41 min41 min Leicester have completely collapsed at Old Trafford, with United scoring a third prior to the interval. Less than two minutes after shipping a second, City conceded a corner which was taken short for Mata to charge into the box and blast across the face of goal. Rashford was on the line to score from a simple finish, extending his incredible run in the first team.

40 min GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 3-0 LEICESTER CITY (MARCUS RASHFORD)

38 min United have a second goal of the contest, which is just about deserved on what we have seen over the past 15 minutes or so. Pogba's latest scooped pass into the box is flicked into the path of Mata by Lingard, and the Spaniard was able to powerful blast the ball into the corner on the half-volley.

37 min GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 2-0 LEICESTER CITY (JUAN MATA)

35 min Plenty of probing from the hosts at the moment, but they have been unable to test Zieler since that Pogba drive a short while ago. City unable to wrestle back any sort of control on the game since falling behind to Smalling's header.

33 min Leicester had a five-minute spell where they were really on top in this game, but either side - and particularly since the opening goal - it has been pretty much all United. Still just the one goal in it, however, with 10 minutes until half time.

31 min SAVE! This has already been Pogba's best performance in a United shirt, in my opinion, as he takes on a shot from more than 30 yards out which looks destined for the top corner. Zieler got across well to turn it aside, however, meaning just a corner for the hosts.

29 min City just need to see out this wave of United pressure, because the Red Devils are really knocking on the door at the moment. That Ibrahimovic strike would have been right up there had it found the net, but it was just too powerful in the end.

27 min CLOSE! That miss has not put Rashford off, as he has just attempted on overhead kick inside the box which was closer to the target this time but still not enough to test Zieler. There was better to come, though, as Pogba slips a fine ball over the top for Ibrahimovic, who swivelled inside the box and volleyed on the turn with a rocket then was inches over the bar.

25 min CHANCE! Leicester step things up after falling behind and win a contentious corner. From that Pogba clears and Ibrahimovic is on his way to lead a counter-attack. The Swede did well to slide the ball across for Rashford, who had just Zieler to beat. It was the worst finish of the youngster's career, though, ending nearer to the corner flag!

23 min Blind is given some space to attack down the left, which ends with United winning another corner. The cross is aimed at the back post, where captain for the day Chris Smalling heads down low to open the scoring from the first on-target attempt of the match. Rather poor from Leicester, as Huth was outjumped and Zieler was also well positioned.

22 min GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 LEICESTER CITY (CHRIS SMALLING)

20 min United looking vulnerable every time their opponents get at them in the final third. Still no shots on target in the opening quarter of the contest, though it has been a decent enough match for the neutral so far.

18 min Leicester have certainly worked their way into this game, winning the midfield battle at the moment but failing to get a shot away on goal, with Drinkwater and Huth both being thwarted. That has been the case at the other end of the field, too.

16 min Well the last five minutes or so of this game have been a complete reversal to what we witnessed in the opening 10 minutes. Leicester have been on top, getting in behind United's full-backs with far too much ease, but just unable to pick out that killer final ball.

14 min Much better from Leicester, as they again get forward and work a position where Mahrez is up against Blind. Only a corner on this occasion, which culminates in Huth blasting into a see of red shirts from around 30 yards out.

12 min A first real attack from Leicester of the afternoon, as Albrighton gets the ball to his feet inside the box. His cross is easily collected by De Gea, with Vardy well positioned to head home if his teammate had just kept his composure.

11 min Some more good play from United, as Pogba brings the ball forward and plays in Ibrahimovic. The ex-Sweden international was always looking to slip through Rashford, but his pass had just too much on it and Zieler was there to collect.

9 min Mata sends in a peach of a cross from the right, having seen his initial corner cleared away, but Ibrahimovic hooks his volleyed attempt over the bar from a difficult angle. Real bright start from the Red Devils in these opening stages.

7 min Not sure if Ranieri will be happy with quite how deep his side are at the moment. Rashford is having to do with a place out on the left wing, but his attacking burst into the box gets supporters off their seat, only for an overhit touch to give Morgan the chance to clear away.

5 min United dominating possession, as Valencia swings a ball in from the right which Ibrahimovic cannot quite get on the end of. Bailly then blasts over from 30 yards out to end what looked like being a promising attack for the Red Devils.

3 min Ibrahimovic already dropping deep into midfield, behind an advanced Pogba. Vital for the hosts to begin strongly this afternoon, but no real sign of that happening inside these first few minutes at the Theatre of Dreams.

1 min KICKOFF! Leicester City ended Mourinho's Chelsea reign not so long ago, but defeat to Manchester United today will unlikely prove as disastrous for the Portuguese. Three points a must for the hosts, though, as this intriguing contest gets underway.