Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail paul@the42.ie, tweet @the42_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
You may need to refresh the page for YouTube videos and other elements to display correctly.
Here are today’s teams…
We’re underway…
It’s been a relatively uneventful start to this game.
Man United have had the majority of possession and territory without creating any clear-cut chances yet.
MAN UNITED 1-0 LEICESTER (MARTIAL 8)
Valencia finds Martial with a cross.
The youngster then beats Schmeichel at his near post with a powerful strike.
Nightmare start for Leicester!
Half chance for Leicester.
Mahrez crosses, but Okazaki doesn’t properly connect with the ball and heads well over the bar.
Fellaini tees up Lingard and the young midfielder’s strike forces Schmeichel into a good reaction save.
United have started this game really well.
Maybe they know something we don’t?
MAN UNITED 1-1 LEICESTER (MORGAN 17)
And Leicester are level already!
Drinkwater floats in a free kick, and captain Wes Morgan heads home powerfully after losing Rojo.
This game has a special feel to it already.
Fuchs has just intercepted a Martial through ball as United attempt to counter-attack.
Wasteful from Rooney, as his free kick from the edge of the box hits the wall.
Moments later, Valencia blazes a cross harmlessly out of play.
United certainly look up for this — they’ve been the more dominant team so far.
As has been the case of late, Wayne Rooney has been effectively been playing in central midfield.
The England international is spraying the ball around nicely and helping United control the game, with Leicester playing very much on the counter-attack as usual.
Controversy, as Lingard goes down with Danny Simpson — who initially gave the ball away — in close vicinity.
The Leicester defender was the last man, so he would have had to go if penalised.
However, while the crowd are happy, replays suggest there wasn’t much in it, and the United star went down rather easily.
Plenty accusing Fellaini of an elbow, not for the first time in his career.
Here’s what the United midfielder had to say on the matter recently…
Gary Lineker is in attendance…
As is Leicester City Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha…
A moment of panic for United. De Gea has to palm away an awkward Schlupp cross, before Mahrez goes down under a challenge from Rojo, who has looked shaky today.
Moments later, Rojo loses Morgan again from a corner, but the Leicester defender cam’t get his header on target.
This is a good spell for Leicester.
Huth deflects Valencia’s cross-shot out for a corner.
This really has been an enthralling first 45 minutes — that rare big game that has actually lived up to the pre-match hype.
HALF-TIME: MAN UNITED 1-1 LEICESTER
Half-time, and it’s all square, so as it stands, Leicester’s Premier League party will have to wait for another day.
The Red Devils have been on top in terms of possession and territory and went ahead through an excellent Martial strike.
However, just when United looked in control, Leicester hit back with a sucker punch out of nothing — a recurring feature of their incredible season.
Since then, it’s been relatively even. Leicester still look very dangerous on the counter attack, and Rojo has been having a nightmare in the United backline — losing Morgan twice at corners, the first instance of which resulted in the equaliser, and also being fortunate not to concede a penalty after seemingly taking down Mahrez.
United will have their own complaints, however, after the referee waved play on when Lingard went down under the challenge of last man Danny Simpson. Nevertheless, replays suggested that it would have been a very soft decision if awarded.
The Red Devils, though, were lucky on another occasion, after Fellaini was fortunate not to receive a red card for an off-the-ball elbow on Huth.
The second half has begun…
Morgan gets on the end of a corner yet again, but his header is comfortably saved by De Gea.
The experienced centre-back is causing Man United plenty of problems from set pieces.
Martial produces a pot shot that sails just over.
The 20-year-old French star has looked lively as ever today.
United give the ball away in their own half, allowing Danny Simpson to break down the right.
The full-back’s dangerous cross narrowly eludes the onrushing Okazaki.
Ulloa gets on the end of a corner, but Martial is well positioned to clear his attempt — United have looked really susceptible from set pieces today.
Moments later, Schlupp breaks down the left, before his cross is collected by a grateful De Gea.
Carrick gets booked for cynically taking down Kante and thereby stopping a Leicester counter-attack.
Moments later, Drinkwater also gets a booking for clipping the heels of Rashford.
Leicester have played really well in this second half.
United have barely had a sniff at goal since the break.
The ball falls to Rooney on the edge of the box, but his attempted chip goes well over.
Shortly thereafter, United make a change, with Mata replacing Lingard.
Meanwhile…
Whoops!
We couldn't find this Tweet
Ulloa gets his head to a Drinkwater free kick, but it’s a difficult chance, and the striker fails to hit the target.
United have been incredibly poor at defending set pieces today — that’s about the fifth time a Leicester player has got a free header from a routine delivery into the box.
Leicester make a change.
Okazaki — who invariably fails to complete 90 minutes — is replaced by 19-year-old Demarai Gray, who the Foxes signed from Birmingham back in January.
Half chance for Fellaini, he gets in behind Ulloa and heads Blind’s corner just wide.
It will be interesting if the Belgian international scores the winner, as he probably shouldn’t still be on the field owing to that first-half elbow.
Good play by Gray initially, as he beats his man down the right, but the teenager’s cross is straight at Carrick.
Down the other end, Valencia’s poor cross is comfortably cleared.
Both sides making some basic errors now as we approach squeaky-bum time.
Man United make another change, as Herrera comes on for Fellaini.
Moments before, the Belgian international found himself in a promising attacking position, but he controlled Rojo’s lofted cross with his arm and was consequently penalised.
Albrighton — who has appeared in every Premier League game this season — replaces the tiring Schlupp.
Shortly thereafter, Smalling gets a powerful header on a pinpoint Rooney cross, but Schmeichel does well to tip the England defender’s attempt behind for a corner.
Mahrez breaks down the right and finds Ulloa with a lovely cross, but the striker — who hasn’t had the best of days — scuffs his shot.
I never thought I would type this, but Leicester have 10 minutes left to get them the goal that will guarantee them the Premier League title…
Great defending from Morgan, who stretches to head the ball away from the incoming Juan Mata.
United make another change, as Rashford is replaced by Depay.
Rooney is quite lucky, as replays reveal he tugged a Leicester player back off the ball as the Foxes broke.
The England international is already on a booking, and so, could have received his marching orders there if the referee had spotted it.
Drinkwater receives a second booking for pulling back Depay on the edge of the box.
United players are claiming the infringement happened inside the area, but the ref awards a free kick.
Leicester immediately react by replacing Mahrez with King.
RED CARD FOR DANNY DRINKWATER!
Schmeichel palms away Rooney’s free kick, before another infringement is committed just outside the area.
Nervy times for the Foxes, as Depay’s attempt is blocked, before Schmeichel comfortably saves Rooney’s subsequent effort.
A Herrera cross goes harmlessly into the arms of Schmeichel.
Anything other than a win here would be a serious blow to Man United’s Champions League hopes.
There will be four minutes of added time…
Great goalkeeping by Schmeichel, as he reacts sharply to get to a loose ball ahead of Depay.
Looks like Leicester will hang on.
FULL-TIME: MAN UNITED 1-1 LEICESTER
So that’s that. Leicester will probably be pleased all things considered, as getting a point with 10 men at Old Trafford is no mean feat.
It was probably deserved overall, as the Foxes defended superbly in the second period and restricted United to half chances.
The Red Devils will be disappointed, however, as the result is a serious blow to their hopes of a Champions League spot.
The hosts’ defence in general, and Rojo in particular, struggled to cope with Leicester’s set pieces, and that factor is ultimately what cost them the game.
The outcome means all eyes will now be on Monday night football. If Tottenham fail to beat Chelsea tomorrow, then Leicester will be crowned Premier League champions.
Right, that’s all from me.
Thanks for reading and commenting, and we’ll have more reaction to follow.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
