Man Utd keep top spot thanks to Mourinho's turnaround

All three substitutions by the “Special One” were effective, helping Man Utd break the deadlock and win 2-0 against Leicester City in round 3 of the Premier League.

Rashford became the hero of Man Utd in this match. Photo: AFP.

Scorers: Rashford 70', Fellaini 82'

Man Utd extended their winning streak and kept clean sheets in the 2017-2018 Premier League, but this time they really had to go through some sweaty moments. If it weren't for three tactical changes from manager Jose Mourinho, Man Utd would have had a hard time finding a way past Kasper Schmeichel.

Marcus Rashford's sharp strike in the box took all the pressure off the Reds with 20 minutes left. Marouane Fellaini then got his name called for a close-range finish that seemed to come out of nowhere. The duo helped Romelu Lukaku breathe a sigh of relief after his missed penalty in the 53rd minute. Meanwhile, Man Utd also maintained a perfect record with nine points after three matches, scoring 10 goals.

Man Utd still entered the match with a storm, after scoring eight goals in the first two matches.. The power from the Old Trafford crowd helped them easily control their opponents throughout the first half. They passed the ball smoothly and attacked in a variety of ways despite lacking decisive shots.

Even when the home team managed to get the ball in the net, the goal was disallowed. It was a situation where Juan Mata kicked the ball back after Lukaku's effort in the 18th minute, but the linesman raised his flag for offside against the Spanish midfielder. Slow motion replays showed that this was a sensitive situation.

Two minutes later, Mata had a real chance from a one-two with Lukaku. But his curling shot to the far corner was saved by Kasper Schmeichel with a beautiful diving save. The son of Old Trafford legend Peter Schmeichel also created many beautiful saves, Man Utd had 13 shots in the half. Their attack was enhanced by Paul Pogba's deadly passes. The most expensive midfielder in the club's history fired six shots in the first half. All had more than enough power, but lacked accuracy.

Mourinho and his team continue to hold the top spot after three consecutive wins. Photo: Reuters.

Man Utd's eye-catching play continued into the second half, although Leicester were equally resilient. The home team's relentless pressure on goal seemed to pay off in the 53rd minute when Martial's pass hit former Man Utd defender Danny Simpson in the box. But Schmeichel beat Lukaku on the penalty spot.

Lukaku has missed three of his last six penalties, and he tends to hit the bottom left corner, where Schmeichel dives with precision. The Dane also saved his first Premier League penalty at Old Trafford, something his father never did despite eight seasons at United.

Lukaku's missed penalty almost cost Man Utd a draw. Photo: EPICS.

Mourinho was left restless after the new signing missed the best chance of the game. A few minutes later, he brought Rashford on to replace Mata to increase his ability to stir up the opponent's defense. The appearance of the 19-year-old striker exposed the problem of the away team's defensive structure. During a corner kick by Mkhitaryan, Rashford freely tapped the ball into the net when no one was marking him in the 16m50 area. Before that, he had broken through and won the corner kick.

While celebrating Rashford's goal, Mourinho did not forget to call Fellaini onto the pitch to strengthen the midfield. Lingard then appeared to replace the exhausted Martial. Mourinho's trio from the bench directly coordinated together in the 82nd minute to erase all hopes of Leicester. Lingard was the core of this goal. He broke the offside trap to receive a pass from Rashford, then crossed conveniently for Fellaini to delicately touch the ball into the net.

Leicester caused many difficulties for Man Utd. Photo: DM.

On the day Pogba and Lukaku were unlucky, Man Utd still survived thanks to the bench. Four of their 10 goals this season have come in the same way. That proves Mourinho's elite squad is not limited to just the official 11 players. Thanks to that, fans have more faith in the "Red Devils" to continue to monopolize the top spot in the Premier League.

According to VNE