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Only Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were younger than Marcus Rashford when they reached 50 goals in the Premier League for Manchester United, but the English striker should look closely at two old golds if he wants to become one of Old Trafford’s best strikers. .
At 23 years and 58 days, Rashford’s future looks very promising. He is skilled, fast, creative, and athletic. He has the temperament to handle the pressure of being a key man for both the club and the country, on and off the pitch.
However, as Rooney and Ronaldo have shown on numerous occasions, the best players are defined by their ability to deliver in the decisive moments. That’s what Edinson Cavani and Jamie Vardy did here, while Rashford, who has 13 goals in all competitions this season, stumbled far too often when his big opportunities came.
Cavani was just a late substitute at King Power Stadium, but the 33-year-old had a much greater impact in his 15 minutes than Anthony Martial in the previous 75.
Showing all his experience, the Uruguayan walked away from Jonny Evans in the 79th minute before picking up possession and releasing Bruno Fernandes, who put United 2-1.
That should have been enough to secure an 11th straight league win on the road for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, until Vardy scored Leicester’s second goal.
As substitute Ayoze Pérez prepared to cross from the right, Vardy took a slight step to his right, away from Harry Maguire creating enough space for a shot.
The goal was lucky: Vardy’s shot went wide before he cut off substitute Axel Tuanzebe and flew past David De Gea, but it wouldn’t have happened without the cunning move from Leicester’s top scorer.
He and Cavani are the same age and took very different paths to get to this stage, but they only need the slightest opportunity to convert a game. Had Rashford been so clinical, United would have secured another valuable victory in the title race.
Less than two minutes had passed when Rashford, unmarked at the far post, somehow headed a Fernandes cross over the bar from twenty feet. He put United in front later in the half with a solid finish, only to be rejected by Kasper Schmeichel when he cleaned up early in the second half. At the time, the score was 1-1 thanks to a tie at 31 minutes by Harvey Barnes.
“Marcus has been brilliant,” Solskjaer said. “We are very proud of him as a human being and as a player, and his stats are impressive. He is always a threat and will always create opportunities for others. I could have scored a couple more goals, but that’s football. “
Solskjaer expects Rashford to recover from a shoulder problem in time to face the Wolves at Old Trafford tomorrow / Tuesday, while there are also concerns about the physical condition of defender Victor Lindelof, who had to be replaced by Tuanzebe midway through. The second half. Meanwhile, this point allowed Leicester to stay ahead of United in the table as they prepare to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park today or Monday.
Both this season and last, Leicester was in second place when they woke up on Boxing Day.
Last year they were beaten 4-0 by Liverpool and while this United team is not at the level of Jurgen Klopp’s champions, Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers is impressed by his team’s progress. Youri Tielemans maintained his excellent form this season with another excellent performance in midfield, while James Justin and Harvey Barnes also shone.
He said: ‘We have several young players and they need encouragement. You are asking them to express themselves every week and to do what they do in training.
“It is satisfying, no matter what club you are in, helping players improve and develop. That is what I enjoy. The development of James Justin and the authority he is displaying at this level is growing game by game.
‘Harvey is churning out the numbers and he will be on par with others at this level now in terms of goals and assists. My job is different from how it works at Manchester United. We do not have the financial resources of other clubs but we want to be able to compete. That is a great challenge for us. ‘
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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