Manchester United’s lethal forward Marcus Rashford has sent an ominous message to the rest of the Premier League by vowing not to “slow down” after continuing his blistering form with two goals in his side’s 3-0 win over Leicester City on Super Sunday.
The England forward has scored 17 goals at Old Trafford across all competitions in 2022-23 – the most by a player in a single season for the club since Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 (19).
His second-half strike was his 24th goal of the season in all competitions, his most in a single campaign for United. Sixteen of those 24 goals have come in 17 games since the end of the 2022 World Cup.
On achieving his personal milestone, Rashford told Sky Sports: “It’s obviously a nice feeling to be scoring goals and ultimately winning games. I don’t think we played that well in the first half but in the second we played a lot better.
“We found Bruno [Fernandes] in pockets, Fred, and they’re creating chances for us. We need to look to do that from the beginning but it’s also a positive that we’re still winning when not at our best.
“There’s definitely things to learn and improve on but overall it’s a good day.”
On his first goal, Rashford admits: “Initially, I was going to pass it as Garna [Alejandro Garnacho] made a good run but the defender was on the inside of him, so I thought shooting across the goal would be the best option.
“There was a bit of relief about the first goal as David [De Gea] made an important save at 0-0. They are important moments. Without having someone like him in the net, we can’t go on and win the game.”
United have lost just three of their last 22 matches in the Premier League. Furthermore, the Red Devils have won more points than any other side in the English top-flight since the first game of that run (49).
Rashford added: “It’s difficult not to keep pushing. We’re still early on in the season and we’re fighting for a lot of different things.
“We have another big game coming up in midweek where we can hopefully reach the next round of the Europa League and then we have the Carabao Cup final next weekend, which is massive.
“There’s always something to push and look forward to. I don’t feel like slowing down. I’m always looking to push and improve.”
Rashford’s confident, low opener came after De Gea had kept United in it against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester, denying Harvey Barnes and Kelechi Iheanacho with outstanding saves.
It allowed the Spaniard to equal Peter Schmeichel’s club record of 180 clean sheets and provided the platform for victory, with Rashford’s second awarded after a VAR review before substitute Sancho struck.
The three points keeps United’s Premier League title hopes alive and sets them up nicely for a pair of crucial games, with the return leg against Barcelona followed by the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United.
“We’re there and we’re close,” said Rashford when asked to assess the Premier League title race.
“At the same time, both teams in front of us [Arsenal and Manchester City] are really good teams – they’re playing good football at the minute so we just have to focus on ourselves.”
Ten Hag: Rashford contract a priority
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says his side were ‘rubbish’ at the start of the game against Leicester City and had goalkeeper David De Gea to thank for keeping them in the game
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s game United boss Erik ten Hag told Sky Sports that signing Rashford up to a new deal is a priority.
Rashford’s contract at Old Trafford is up in the summer of 2024 and Ten Hag is desperate to keep his top scorer, who has 22 goals in all competitions already this season.
“Of course [Rashford’s new contract] is a priority,” Ten Hag said. “We are working on that, just sit and wait, but in the background we work hard. Of course [we have to keep him].”
Graeme Souness believes Marcel Sabitzer was lucky to still be on the field after only picking up a yellow card for his tackle on Leicester defender Wout Faes
He added: “I think the team is in a good place and Marcus is definitely in a good place. We are happy with his performances. He is in such good form. You can keep that if you keep the right energy and put the right investment in.
“Every game you have to take it as a new game. And you know at the moment that when Marcus comes into the position that he will score. When he is happy it gives him energy and a positive mood and then the goals will come. He has such great skills to score goals.
“I don’t know [if he wasn’t happy last season]. On the first day I met him, I told him ‘I want to see your smile, I want to see your teeth and then it is OK’. We see it often and I think he is in a happy place and the whole dressing room is in a happy place and I think it is good.”
Ten Hag downplays title credentials
This had looked anything other than a 3-0 home win during the start made by Leicester, who found De Gea in inspired form in the seventh minute when denying Barnes’ snapshot with a superb one-handed reaction stop.
Harry Souttar headed over from the resulting corner and Iheanacho saw a drive blocked by Victor Lindelof after James Maddison opened up United’s sloppy backline.
Fred blocked a dangerous cross and Tete tried his luck from an acute angle, before De Gea came to the rescue again as Iheanacho met a cross to the far post with a header into the ground that he clawed away brilliantly.
It seemed a matter of when rather than if there would be an opener, but few expected it come at the other end given the pattern of play.
Ten Hag reflected: “Leicester is a great team, they played really well and made it really tough for us. It was also by us, we didn’t follow the rules and the principles of the game from our way of play and then you get punished. We were lucky and it is only because of David De Gea that we don’t concede a goal. He made great saves, we were not disciplined and it is not right.
“We came in at half-time and said it. We were 1-0 up, we knew also how to beat them because there was a lot of space in the midfield and behind their defending line. It was a good goal, once again a great pass from Bruno [Fernandes], great goal from Rashy [Marcus Rashford] and then we are 1-0 up. The second half was all us and Bruno Fernandes played a magnificent game.
“The team is putting Rashford in the right positions, especially Bruno, he creates how many passes, he gives behind, he crosses in. Not only Bruno but I think he is doing a great job.
“We need all players in form but we have to follow the principles of our way of play and if we do that, we can play very well and we have seen that in the second half.
On being in the title race, Ten Hag said: “We don’t think about that, we think about tomorrow, we have to be a better version of ourselves and that is what we have to work for. We are in February, don’t look far ahead.”
Rodgers rues lack of clinical finishing
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers reflects on his side’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester United and says he was disappointed with the way they let the game get away from them.
Leicester conceded 10 goals in their last five Premier League games, one more than in their previous 11 matches beforehand. In fact, only Bournemouth (44) have conceded more goals than the Foxes in the Premier League this season (41).
Brendan Rodgers said: “It’s a disappointing result in the end. I thought in the first half we were excellent. We created the best opportunities and we looked a real threat. We probably needed to speed up the game in the final third a little bit more to get more opportunities, but we looked a real threat.
“But we made a mistake for the first goal and Marcus is in great form, so he’s very clinical in that moment. We gave away a disappointing second goal and then the third one quickly after that and that saw the game go away from us. It was a disappointing second half.”
“The chances were there but we just couldn’t quite put them away. Sometimes that’s the way it goes for you. We have shown that we have got our goal scoring and creativity back from the last two games. Today it just wasn’t to be but we created chances and if we could have taken one or two of those in the first half, it would have been a different game.
“We’ve taken six points from nine in what were three tough games. Now we go back home again and we’ve got a tough game against Arsenal but the supporters will be right up for it. We’ll be getting ready for that but it should be another great day hopefully for us.”
What’s next?
Manchester United‘s attention now turns to their Europa League play-off second leg against Barcelona, with the Spanish league leaders visiting Old Trafford on Thursday; kick-off 8pm.
Erik ten Hag’s side then take on Newcastle United at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 4.30pm.
Leicester City are next in action on Saturday when they host Arsenal; kick-off 3pm. Brendan Rodgers’ side then face an FA Cup tie at home to Blackburn on Tuesday February 28; kick-off 7.30pm.