Sunday 05 / May / 2024
London: Manchester United continued their push for a top-four finish with a comfortable 3-0 victory at champions Leicester City on Sunday, extending their unbeaten Premier League run to 15 games.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan open the scoring with a cool finish after he galloped onto Chris Smalling's header in the 42nd minute and, with Leicester's defence still recovering, Zlatan Ibrahimovic added a second two minutes later.
Juan Mata stroked home their third goal after some delightful link up play with Mkhitaryan in the 49th and United easily closed out the game against a Leicester side who have yet to score a league goal in 2017.
United stay sixth but have cut the gap to Liverpool and Arsenal, one and two points above them in fifth and fourth respectively, while Leicester are 16th -- one point above the bottom three in the relegation zone.
City win
Gabriel Jesus underlined his impressive early form at Manchester City with two goals in a 2-1 win over Swansea City on Sunday but his sparkling emergence has cast doubt over the starting role of talismanic forward Sergio Aguero.
The 19-year-old Brazilian again started ahead of the Argentine and turned in another eye-catching performance full of vim and vigour that culminated with a stoppage-time winner.
His double took his tally to three goals and two assists in four league and cup games since arriving at the Etihad from Brazilian side Palmeiras last month.
Both Sunday's goals came after he was the quickest to react to loose balls and it is his instinctive ability to take up consistently impressive positions that has caused the opposition so many problems during his embryonic City career.
"I am very happy to score two goals," Jesus told Sky Sports with team mate Fernandinho acting as translator.
"I got into the team so quickly. Everyone at the club is helping me to get better every day but of course when things like this happen it is much easier."
His goals were the highlights of a superb all-round performance full of dangerous movement, smart link-up play, searing pace and a series of silky touches.
"Gabriel Jesus is strong, fast and has really good movement," City manager Pep Guardiola told the BBC after his side climbed to third.
"He has arrived really, really, well. He is Gabriel Jesus. We are happy to have him."
Aguero, long considered one of City's most important players, has had to be content with a place on the bench in recent weeks.
Manager Guardiola deployed Jesus as his leading man on Sunday in an attacking quintet also including David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.
They were irresistible in the first half against Swansea having also terrorised West Ham United during a 4-0 midweek victory.
With City pushing for a late winner, Aguero was eventually summoned, to rapturous applause inside the Etihad, and he headed narrowly over after Jesus's winner.
As ever Aguero has been in prolific form this season netting 18 times in 25 appearances in all competitions and will no doubt play an important role for the remainder of the season.
Yet it remains to be seen if that role is as an impact substitute or as the star attraction he has been since joining the club in 2011.
