Maguire heads Man United into FA Cup fifth round

AFP

Manchester United clawed back from a goal down to beat Leicester City in a 2-1 fourth-round FA Cup victory on Friday at Old Trafford, thanks to a last-gasp controversial header from veteran defender Harry Maguire plus a strike from Joshua Zirkzee.

The game appeared to be heading into extra time before Maguire headed in the winner in the 93rd minute from Bruno Fernandes' free kick, seconds before the final whistle.

"The second half we played a little bit better, with a little more speed, winning second balls," United manager Ruben Amorim said. "Then we managed to turn things around so it was a good result, not a good performance."

Television replays showed Maguire appeared to be offside, but the linesman did not raise his flag and VAR is not used in the FA Cup until the fifth round.

Asked about losing in "Fergie time", famously coined in reference to manager Alex Ferguson's United teams frequently scoring in stoppage time, frustrated Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy said: "We are not defeated in Fergie time, we are defeated in offside time.

"(VAR) wasn't necessary," he added. "Look, VAR you have a couple of centimetres, couple of inches. This was half a metre clear in line. It's a hard one to take. We deserved to go into extra time and go for the battle in extra time and maybe penalties."

The result handed United only their third win in their last eight games at Old Trafford across all competitions, and the fans something to cheer about after a smattering of boos saw the team off at halftime.

Holders United were indeed poor in the first half and Leicester capitalised in the 42nd minute when Wilfred Ndidi's shot was blocked by keeper Andre Onana but Bobby De Cordova-Reid was there to head in the rebound from close range.

Zirkzee levelled in the 68th minute when Alejandro Garnacho sent a cross into the box but Rasmus Hojlund's effort was blocked by defender Caleb Okoli. The ball fell perfectly for Zirkzee to tap home just three minutes after he entered the game.

Garnacho made an immediate impact down the left as a second-half substitute and squandered a terrific chance when he tried to squeeze a shot inside the near post but hit the side netting, with a frustrated Rasmus Hojlund open in front of goal.

Amorim pointed the blame squarely at himself for United's struggles.

More from Sports

  • Arsenal keep alive faint title hopes with Chelsea win

    Arsenal defeated London rivals Chelsea 1-0 for their first win in four Premier League games on Sunday as a headed goal by stand-in striker Mikel Merino boosted their faint hopes of catching up with runaway leaders Liverpool.

  • Alcaraz says nerves got the better of him against Draper

    Carlos Alcaraz's hopes of capturing a third successive Indian Wells title went up in smoke on Saturday and the Spaniard said his inability to tame his nerves was more of a disappointment than the stunning semi-final defeat by Jack Draper.

  • Norris holds off Verstappen to win wild F1 opener in Australia

    McLaren's Lando Norris swept to victory in a wet and wild Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off defending champion Max Verstappen in a white-knuckle finish to a Formula One season-opener littered with crashes and safety cars.

  • Man City held to 2-2 home draw by Brighton

    Manchester City could only muster a 2-2 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, dropping points in a blow to their hopes of playing European football next season.

  • Verstappen surprised by Red Bull improvement in Australia

    After struggling with setup issues through Australian Grand Prix practice, Max Verstappen was surprised by his Red Bull car's performance on Saturday as the Formula One defending champion took third place in qualifying for the season-opening race.

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Music Mix

    11:00pm - 6:00am

    Enjoy your favourite music back to back commercial free, tune in to the Music Mix everyday from 1 until 2 for the music you love and the news updates you need

  • The Business Breakfast

    6:00am - 10:00am

    The Business Breakfast is the day’s must listen for the UAE’s business leaders, and those who aspire to be.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!