Premier League 2019/20: Manchester United vs Leicester, three things that the Red Devils should do to beat Leicester

Modified Sep 27, 2019 07:22 GMT

Manchester United winger Daniel James is in blistering form.

Manchester United host Leicester City at Old Trafford tomorrow in the Premier League. The Red Devils sit eighth on the table with 5 points from 4 games, which is not a very good statistic considering their opening day 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Leicester are third in the league above the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham, with eight points from four games. The Foxes have had an impressive start to the season as they were able to hold two top teams in Chelsea and Wolves for a draw while winning the other two games against Sheffield United and Bournemouth.

United, on the other hand were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by 10-man Southampton at St. Mary's, a fixture they should have easily won, considering the firepower in the squad and a red card in the opposition camp.

While Manchester United will be looking to make a strong statement by returning back to winning ways, Leicester will fight to stay in the top 4 at the end of this game-week. Today we take a look at the top three things that the Red Devils need to do to beat the Foxes tomorrow.

#3 Play both Rashford and Martial in the starting XI

Rashford and Martial have a great partnership together.

Marcus Rashford, who wears the number 10 jersey, has been playing as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's number nine and a target man for his team-mates. On the contrary, number nine Anthony Martial likes to drop back from the striker position a little and play in the number-10 role.

Both the players are indispensable for the club, but with too many options in midfield, Solskjaer has been restricting himself from playing both of them together for 90 minutes in recent weeks.

Leicester don't have the stable back four which existed before Harry Maguire's departure to the other side, and Manchester United can definitely take the opportunity to hit the Foxes' defense by playing their two most lethal attacking options together in the starting XI.

This would mean that Solskjaer will have to reshuffle his midfield a little to suit two strikers upfront, but it seems worth the risk considering the fact that United desperately need goals that could win them some points.

Harry Maguire switched from Leicester to United in the pre-season.

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#2 Use Paul Pogba in an advanced midfield position

Even if fans would agree that Paul Pogba has been playing way below his potential since his multi-million move back to the Premier League from Juventus, the Frenchman has definitely been one of United's best players for the past couple of seasons, albeit inconsistent.

Pogba is also United's only established first-team, box-to-box midfielder who can attack the opposition end and then can defend a counter-attack in United's own penalty area.

The Red Devils should use this attribute of the World Cup-winner to their benefit and play him high up the field just behind the striker so that he can increase goal-scoring opportunities.

Though this will leave United with the risk of being outnumbered and outclassed in the center of the park, United may just have found the perfect solution to it in Scott McTominay.

The academy graduate has been exceptional for United since last season, and might have just cemented his first team position at Old Trafford. He shows every characteristic of a proper midfielder that United need alongside Paul Pogba.

Pogba's advanced midfield position also suits the two striker strategy discussed previously, at the expense of dropping Juan Mata.

#1 Give more playing time to Mason Greenwood

Another successful product of the Manchester United academy alongside McTominay, Mason Greenwood has also been showing signs of an explosive winger in the meager playing time offered by Solskjaer to him in the second half.

Andreas Pereira who has been starting United's most games on the right wing this season has looked like the only lackluster player in the squad in the attacking half, and it might just be the time for Greenwood to grab the opportunity to shine.

As Aaron Wan-Bissaka likes to play as an overlapping right-back, an makes the run almost 90% of times whenever United counter, the team desperately needs a winger who can cut back inside from the wing and set up a goal for himself or any of the other forwards.

Greenwood is exactly the player which fits the criteria and he does not shy away from taking his chances of dribbling at opponents even if he is just starting out in the Premier League.

It's time another United academy graduate starts getting his due at Old Trafford as he deserves it.

Edited by S Chowdhury