Marcus Rashford of Manchester United throughout the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford on February 19, 2023 in Manchester, England.
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In this sort of kind Marcus Rashford would possibly simply fireplace Manchester United to the Premier League title and extra.
The striker scored twice to arrange a 3-0 win in opposition to Leicester on Sunday as Erik ten Hag’s staff closed in on second-place Manchester City and stored the strain on table-topping Arsenal.
That’s 16 targets in 17 video games for Rashford since getting back from the World Cup in a run that has prompted followers to label him the most effective participant on the earth proper now.
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe – and a sure Cristiano Ronaldo – may need one thing to say about that, however United’s four-pronged trophy pursuit has been energized by Rashford’s excellent kind.
The England worldwide fired his staff in entrance on 25 minutes at Old Trafford after United withstood an early onslaught from Leicester.
He scored a second within the 56th and substitute Jadon Sancho added a 3rd 5 minutes later.
Rashford has scored in seven straight Premier League video games at residence, which is the longest run for a United participant since Wayne Rooney’s eight-game streak within the 2009-10 marketing campaign. Ronaldo had a sequence of scoring in 10 straight video games in 2008, however it’s a measure of Rashford’s kind that he’s preserving firm with such iconic names.
He has now has a career-best 24 targets this season and is exhibiting no indicators of slowing down, it doesn’t matter what the opposition.
His newest strikes got here after he scored within the 2-2 draw with Barcelona within the Europa League on Thursday to additional improve his status world wide.
After that epic on the Nou Camp, it was again to the league for United and the prospect to proceed its push towards the highest.
As unlikely as a title bid regarded at the beginning of the season, there may be rising perception that United can pressure its means into critical competition because the main two falter.
City’s shock 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday meant third-place United may reduce the hole to Pep Guardiola’s staff to 3 factors. And whereas Arsenal got here from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-2 and transfer again to the highest of the desk, it was the Londoners’ first win in 5 video games.
United has stumbled itself in current weeks when given the prospect to actually put the strain on on the prime, with dropped factors in opposition to Leeds and a loss to Arsenal.
For 25 minutes it regarded like United was in for an additional slipup as Leicester twice threatened to go forward and solely the efforts of David de Gea stored the guests at bay.
The United goalkeeper caught out a foot to cease Harvey Barnes when the Leicester ahead went by means of on aim after eight minutes and was down sharply to push away Kelechi Inheanacho’s header shortly after.
United sparked into life when Bruno Fernandes’ fast by means of ball with the skin of his boot despatched Rashford away. The ahead merely doesn’t appear to be lacking in the mean time and he fired low previous Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward with a scientific end.
He raced clear once more within the second half to beat Ward, with VAR finally giving the aim after the offside flag was raised.
Sancho put the sport past doubt on the finish of a sweeping transfer.
In a second half dominated by United, Lisandro Martinez additionally hit the bar and Wout Weghorst compelled a save when one-on-one with Ward late on.
United is now 5 factors behind chief Arsenal however has performed one sport extra.
United will play Newcastle within the League Cup closing subsequent Sunday. It faces West Ham within the fifth spherical of the FA Cup.
