Man United 1-2 Leicester
- Goals: Mason Greenwood (£7.2m) | Luke Thomas (£4.1m), Caglar Söyüncü (£5.3m)
- Assists: Amad Diallo (£5.4m) | Youri Tielemans (£6.4m), Marc Albrighton (£5.2m)
- Bonus points: Söyüncü x3, Albrighton x2, Greenwood x1
GO ON MASON
Mason Greenwood‘s (£7.2m) versatility helped him become the only player to start the first two of Manchester United’s Triple Gameweek 35 matches on Tuesday.
And his withdrawal in the 66th minute suggested a hat-trick of starts could be completed in Thursday night’s meeting with Liverpool.
Crucially, the Fantasy Premier League midfielder continued his impressive form even as the Red Devils lost to Leicester.
Greenwood has now scored six goals in his last six matches, more than any other FPL midfielder during the same period. Meanwhile, his total of 29 goals in all competitions since the start of last season is more than any other teenager in Europe’s top five leagues.
A key to his recent form has been the 19-year-old’s ability to operate anywhere in Manchester United’s attack.
With Anthony Martial (£8.6m) still injured and Edinson Cavani (£8.0m) initially on the bench with Marcus Rashford (£9.6m) on Tuesday evening, Greenwood spent the opening hour at Old Trafford as a centre-forward.
That came after a similar length of time as a right-winger against Aston Villa, a role he could fulfil when Liverpool come to Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Cavani and Rashford featured as late substitutes against Leicester, suggesting they could feature more significantly in two days’ time although Greenwood could play on the right once again.
“Mason, again, he looked a season professional out there. He’s only 19 but the way he has played it tonight it was very, very good. He was fantastic leading the line. Next to an 18-year-old and 19-year-old, he looks like a 29-year-old. I’m very pleased with him.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
OLE AT THE ROULETTE WHEEL
Embarking on their third competitive fixture since last Thursday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made 10 changes to his starting XI for Manchester United’s second Triple Gameweek 35 matches.
That was the joint-most the Red Devils have ever made between Premier League matches, also making 10 for a 1-0 victory against Hull City in May 2009.
“That was the only way to do it. That’s the strongest we could give with a fresh team. These boys will do everything they can for the team and give themselves a chance to get into the next game against Liverpool.”
Bruno Fernandes (£11.5m) was one of those afforded a rest, his role assumed by Juan Mata (£5.8m) making his first league start since Gameweek 9.
The Portuguese international emerged in the 78th minute but was unable to offering anything more than a one-point cameo to back up his 10-point haul against Aston Villa.
Solskjaer’s rotation also saw Amad Diallo (£5.4m) and Anthony Elanga staff the flanks while Paul Pogba (£7.6m), who has played on the left-hand side of attacking midfield recently, remained an unused substitute.
“(Elanga) is ready, he’s trained really well, he’s been very, very good in the Under-23s. He’s had a couple of injuries that have hampered him a little but he’s ready, he’s got directness, pace and attitude. I’m looking forward to seeing him.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Victor Lindelöf (£4.8m), Luke Shaw (£5.5m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.7m) also stayed on the bench all evening, putting each of them in line to return to the side for facing Jurgen Klopp’s men.
There was also an update on Harry Maguire (£5.6m), who was forced off with an injury on Sunday afternoon, Solskjaer admitting he would have been involved if fit and that the Europa League final is likely to be a realistic point of return for him.
“He would have played if he wasn’t injured. Good news is that he’s not broken anything so there’s no fracture. There’s ligament damage and we hope to see him again before the final.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Eric Bailly (£4.8m) and Axel Tuanzebe (£4.1m) were the centre-back pairing on Tuesday evening, the two arguably competing with each other to partner Lindelöf against Liverpool.
The latter looked marginally more assured in his individual battles and might fancy his chances of a second start in two days.
FOX IN THE BOX
While Leicester left Old Trafford with three points, their meeting with Manchester United perhaps signified the beginning of the end for interest in their assets.
With a Blank Gameweek preceding meetings with Chelsea and Spurs, the peripheral nature of Jamie Vardy‘s (£10.3m) was telling once again.
He came close to an assist in the second half when he headed across goal for a stretching Youri Tielemans (£6.4m) but it was another outing where his primary function for the team was to run and create space rather than get on the end of things.
Meanwhile, Kelechi Iheanacho‘s (£6.3m) own form suggested a steady decline in Leicester’s second Triple Gameweek 35 match.
Without James Maddison (£7.3m) at number 10, the centre-forward was forced into dropping even deeper than we have seen in recent matches.
Against Southampton and Newcastle we saw similar runs, perhaps forced by increased marking presence in response to Iheanacho’s recent goal-scoring form.
But against Manchester United, it was detrimental enough to make for a first blank since Gameweek 30.
Meanwhile, the owners of Timothy Castagne (£5.8m) continue to suffer in the absence of Jonny Evans (£5.6m).
Without the former Manchester United man in the team, Castagne joined Caglar Söyüncü (£5.3m) and Wesley Fofana (£5.0m) in the back-three, featuring on the right-hand side in a role that restricted his offensive output.
Finally, Marc Albrighton (£5.2m) has quietly been offering decent value of late. Since Gameweek 27, only Vardy (five) has more assists than him. The former Aston Villa man finished Triple Gameweek 35’s top-scoring Leicester asset with 15 points.
Manchester United XI: De Gea; B Williams, Bailly, Tuanzebe, Telles; Matic, van de Beek; A Diallo (B Fernandes 78′), Mata, Elanga (Rashford 66′); Greenwood (Cavani 66′).
Leicester City XI: Schmeichel; Söyüncü, Fofana, Castagne; Thomas, Ndidi, Tielemans, Albrighton; Pérez (Maddison 65′); Vardy (Choudhury 80′), Iheanacho.
Elsewhere in Triple Gameweek 35…
- Goals: Danny Ings x2 (£8.4m), Che Adams (£5.7m) | Christian Benteke (£5.5m)
- Assists: Nathan Redmond (£6.4m), Stuart Armstrong (£5.5m), Adams | Scott Dann (£4.2m)
- Penalty saves: Fraser Forster (£4.0m)
- Penalty misses: Luka Milivojevic (£5.6m)
- Bonus points: Ings x3, Adams x2, Benteke x1
Danny Ings (£8.4m) has put himself in the conversation for end-of-season differentials after his brace in Southampton’s win over Crystal Palace.
Returning from injury in Triple Gameweek 35, he has four goals and one assist in his last four appearances. Only Chris Wood (£6.4m) has produced more attacking returns than that among forwards over the same period (six).
Fulham (home), Leeds (home) and West Ham (away) are Ings’ next three opponents.
Meanwhile, Christian Benteke‘s (£5.5m) away form continues to impress as he added his fourth in his last six road trips against Southampton.
Wood and Harry Kane (£11.8m) are the only forwards to have performed better in that area over the same period.
However, it was another disappointing outing for Wilfried Zaha (£7.2m) owners as he offered another largely anonymous performance.
In a rare moment of penalty-box action for the mid-priced midfielder, who picked up a late booking, he did win a first-half penalty, only to see Fraser Forster (£4.0m) save Luka Milivojevic‘s (£5.6m) spot kick.
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