For swathes of the last six years, Leicester City could savour the thought of Harry Maguire and Manchester United. Not here, however, and not in injury time. Maguire had been a fine servant to Leicester but they banked a world-record fee for a centre-back, some £80m, when they sold him to United in 2019. Maguire’s Old Trafford career has not always proceeded swimmingly, but on a night when they looked like drowning in their own incompetence, he instead turned rescuer.
A 93rd-minute header took the holders into the FA Cup fifth round in dramatic fashion; controversial, too, given that Maguire – and three of his teammates – had looked suspiciously offside when he ran on to Bruno Fernandes’s deep free-kick to plant an emphatic header in. Amid scenes of bedlam, with no VAR to spare Leicester, United’s act of escapology was complete.
The architect was a scorer in last season’s final. Alejandro Garnacho delivered neither goal against Leicester but he was the catalyst for a comeback, the man who injected excitement into a soporific, sorry display. The fact that the Argentinian was only a replacement underlined the way United stumbled and blundered their way through the opening 45 minutes. Ruben Amorim changed the match with his substitutions, but he got his starting XI badly wrong. There are themes there: United trying to make up for past mistakes, Amorim making an inauspicious beginning to life at Old Trafford.
But Joshua Zirkzee, who is finding the FA Cup a cathartic competition, scored three minutes after his introduction. The Dutchman had delivered the winning penalty in the shootout against Arsenal, another game that showed United’s resolve. Jeered off against Newcastle, he heard his name sung after levelling the tie.
It stemmed from a surge by Garnacho. After Rasmus Hojlund had a shot blocked by Caleb Okoli, Zirkzee sidefooted in the leveller. Garnacho had almost levelled just before with a burst into the box and a shot that deflected off Wout Faes to loop over Mads Hermansen. It required an astonishing intervention from Caleb Okoli, clearing via the underside of the bar, to preserve Leicester’s lead, albeit only briefly.
Amorim had been forced to summon Garnacho at the break, bringing on a man who has no natural place in his system. The Portuguese’s formation does not allow for wingers, but United were roused by one, by a player with drive to run at defenders, with the speed and skill to evade them. Perhaps Garnacho was affronted by being omitted from such a wretched side. He played with the air of a man with a point to prove. He brought the crowd to life. Old Trafford, notable for boos at half-time, echoed to the sound of “Viva Garnacho”.
Not, sadly for him, viva Patrick Dorgu, the man to make way for Garnacho. It amounted to a dismal, dreadful debut for the Dane. That was not entirely his fault as he was picked out of position, poor and hooked at half-time. If the £30m 20-year-old seemed bought to be the left wing-back United have lacked, Amorim instead decided to deploy a very left-footed player on the right flank. It was a leftfield decision in one respect, though clearly not in another. It looked utterly illogical, especially with Diogo Dalot used on the left. Inverted wing-backs scarcely seemed a masterstroke and, after the deployment of Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine against Crystal Palace, it was a second bizarre decision by Amorim in as many games. He handicapped his new recruit.
As for Mainoo, he was instead anonymous as a No 10. The recalled Hojlund was starved of service until joined by Garnacho and Zirkzee. The first half illustrated part of Amorim’s problem: United’s difficulties against their supposed inferiors. Their struggles against English opposition at Old Trafford have been an unwanted theme of Amorim’s reign, with only Sean Dyche’s Everton and Southampton beaten in the league. Leicester had conceded in 10.18 seconds last week. United only mustered two shots in the opening half, neither on target.
And Leicester led. Bilal El Khannouss outpaced Leny Yoro with too much ease and cut the ball. Wilfred Ndidi’s shot was saved by Andre Onana. The goalkeeper may have been unfortunate: it fell for Bobby Decordova-Reid to head in. El Khannouss was terrific, his talent suggesting he will represent Leicester’s best hope of avoiding relegation. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who won three times at Old Trafford as United’s caretaker manager, was on course for the best result of his reign at Leicester. The visiting fans were sufficiently confident they spent some of the second half chorusing “ole” as they passed the ball around; with Manuel Ugarte awful in midfield, still more of United’s shortcomings were apparent.
There was a danger Maguire’s night was remembered for a moment of incompetence when he contrived to pass the ball straight to Amorim. Instead, he ended it sparing Amorim another inquest, extending his chances of winning the FA Cup, the surprise scourge of Leicester.
