Vardy strikes as Leicester sinks Man United in 4-2 thriller

Leicester City ended its four-match winless run in the Premier League with United failing to win in spite of Rashford's return.

Published : Oct 16, 2021 21:58 IST , Leicester

With the score 2-2 late in the game, Vardy netted a superb goal with the outside of his foot, putting the host in the driving seat in the 83rd minute.
With the score 2-2 late in the game, Vardy netted a superb goal with the outside of his foot, putting the host in the driving seat in the 83rd minute.
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With the score 2-2 late in the game, Vardy netted a superb goal with the outside of his foot, putting the host in the driving seat in the 83rd minute.

Leicester City fired on all cylinders late on to beat Manchester United 4-2 at home in the Premier League on Saturday, ending a four-match winless run and piling more pressure on visiting manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The result also ended United's record 29-game unbeaten away run in the league as it collapsed in a frantic five-minute spell in the closing stages, having taken an early lead and then pulled it back to 2-2.

With Cristiano Ronaldo putting in a subdued performance up front for United, it was shambolic defending that stretched its own winless run to three games in which it has taken one point from a possible nine.

Vardy was delighted after the game as Leicester bounced back from its barren spell.

"It was massively important," Vardy told the BBC. "The most important thing was the performance because we had let our standards slip. We had the international break to reflect on things."

United had made a perfect start as Mason Greenwood fired it into a 19th-minute lead when he unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 metres that flew into the far corner as it shaved the inside of the post.

But the visitor was punished for sloppy passing in the danger zone in the 31st as Kelechi Iheanacho robbed Harry Maguire of the ball and squared it for Tielemans to hit the top corner with a looping shot over goalkeeper David De Gea.

A tame second half came to life with De Gea tipping a sublime Tielemans ball onto the woodwork before Ronaldo, who spurned a first-half chance with United ahead, saw home keeper Kasper Schmeichel palm over his shot from inside the area.

It was rip-roaring action from there on as Caglar Soyuncu turned the tide with a close-range effort in the 78th minute before Marcus Rashford, returning after shoulder surgery in August, levelled for United in the 82nd.

Less than 60 seconds later, however, substitute Ayoze Perez chipped the ball into Vardy's path and the striker gave De Gea no chance with a superb volley with the outside of his foot, delighting the home fans in the King Power stadium.

Substitute Patson Daka put the icing on the cake for Leicester in stoppage time as more poor defending gave the Zambian striker time and space to tap the ball in from point blank range at the far post.

United slipped to fifth on 14 points from eight games, four behind leaders Liverpool who thrashed Watford 5-0 away in the lunchtime kick-off, while Leicester climbed to 11th on 11 points.

ALSO READ | Klopp hails Salah as world's best after Liverpool's rout of Watford

In the other games in the Premier League, Norwich and Southampton had contrasting results.

Norwich City is still searching for its first Premier League win this season after playing out a goalless draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at Carrow Road on Saturday.

It remains rooted to the bottom of the league standings on two points, while Brighton moved provisionally up to fifth with 15 points.

Southampton, on the other hand, claimed its first Premier League victory of the season as Armando Broja's second-half goal gave it a 1-0 win at home to Leeds United on Saturday.

The three points mean Ralph Hasenhuettl's side rises to 15th in the table, while Leeds is one point and two places behind.

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