Manchester United vs Leicester City: 5 Key Battles to watch out for during the Premier League game
Saturday marks the return of the Premier League after the international break and Manchester United’s trip to Leicester City is the standout fixture of the weekend. Prior to the international break, both these teams experienced disappointing results.
While Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Everton, Leicester dropped points away to Crystal Palace. Those results increase the significance of Saturday’s Premier League encounter, especially for Manchester United as they face Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester City in the coming weeks.
Manchester United have experienced a rollercoaster start to their Premier League campaign so far. A huge win over Leeds United on the opening day of the season was followed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford and the Portuguese superstar made an instant impact.
Manchester United will be determined to bounce back in the Premier League
However, the euphoria surrounding his return dimmed significantly when Manchester United failed to secure all three points against Everton two weeks back. Meanwhile, Leicester City have not hit the ground running as they languish in the bottom half of the table after the opening seven games of the season.
With so much on the line, here are five key battles to watch out for when Leicester City host Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday:
#5 Aaron Wan-Bissaka vs Harvey Barnes
Harvey Barnes has not had the best of starts to the Premier League season so far but he remains one of the most exciting young prospects in the country. Barnes will go head-to-head against one of the most defensively sound full-backs in the Premier League on Saturday when he faces Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The winger, one of Leicester City’s most creative players, is known for his raw pace and direct style of play. He will have to be on top of his game if he is to emerge victorious in his battle against Wan-Bissaka.
Manchester United's Wan-Bissaka, on the other hand, will have to be on his guard so as not to give the youngster space to run in behind the defense. Barnes has developed a good understanding with Jamie Vardy and it will be Wan-Bissaka’s responsibility to ensure that the duo do not manage to successfully link-up with each other. The outcome of the battle between the two Englishmen will go a long way in deciding the result of the game on Saturday in the Premier League.
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#4 Luke Shaw vs Ricardo Pereira
Luke Shaw has turned his career around in the last few years and how! The Englishman has been in fine form for both club and country over the last year or so. Manchester United will hope he can keep it going when he comes up against Ricardo Pereira on Saturday in the Premier League.
Shaw and Ricardo Pereira are both equally adept on the attacking front while carrying out their defensive responsibilities and their head-to-head battle promises to be a tantalising prospect.
The fact that Shaw and Pereira are both capable of delivering dangerous freekicks and corners into the box also adds to their attacking threat and brings a creative dimension to their game.
Given how similar both these players are in terms of their playing style, the outcome of the game might be decided on how well Shaw and Pereira outdo each other.