Harry Maguire delivered a dramatic and contentious stoppage-time winner for Manchester United, propelling the defending FA Cup champions past Leicester City into the fifth round of the competition on Friday.
After trailing by a goal, United managed a spirited comeback that culminated in this crucial victory. As the game edged toward extra time and possibly penalties, Bruno Fernandes launched a well-placed free-kick into the penalty area. Rising above the defense, Maguire scored with a decisive header. Controversy surrounded the goal, as Maguire appeared to be in an offside position, but with the absence of the video assistant referee (VAR) at this juncture in the tournament, the officials did not scrutinize the decision, and the goal was allowed.
This victory injected a much-needed sense of elation for Manchester United supporters, who have endured seeing their team suffer five defeats in their last seven home matches at Old Trafford stadium this season.
Fans’ initial apprehension seemed justified when Leicester City seized the lead late in a predominantly uneventful first half. Bobby De Cordova-Reid capitalized on a fortuitous opportunity, heading in from close range after Andre Onana parried Wilfred Ndidi’s shot.
However, the tide turned for United in the second half with the impactful entry of Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho’s dynamic presence injected energy into the team, consistently troubling Leicester’s defense. His pivotal moment came through an assist, delivering a cross that led to the equalizing goal. Rasmus Hojlund initially struck a shot that was blocked, but substitute Joshua Zirkzee pounced on the opportunity, calmly slotting the ball home soon after his arrival on the pitch.
From that point, Manchester United seemed the more likely to clinch a victory, which they ultimately did with Maguire’s contentious yet decisive header in the waning minutes of the match. Understandably, Leicester fans were left feeling disgruntled about how the match concluded.