Harry Maguire headed in a dramatic stoppage-time winner against his former club Leicester City, propelling Manchester United into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 comeback victory at Old Trafford.
Maguire appeared to be in an offside position when Bruno Fernandes delivered a free-kick, which the defender nodded past Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
However, with VAR not in use until the fifth round, the goal stood.
Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy expressed his frustration after the match, telling ITV, “We were not defeated in Fergie time, we are defeated in offside time.”
United, who have reached the FA Cup final twice in the last two seasons, once again advanced past the fourth round for the 10th time in 11 years.
This match presented a favourable opportunity for United, facing a struggling Leicester side that had suffered eight defeats in their previous nine Premier League outings. Yet, despite expectations, United struggled to impose themselves early on.
The atmosphere inside Old Trafford quickly soured as United’s lack of intensity frustrated the home fans.
Passes went backward instead of forward, and the team appeared flat and devoid of creativity.
Leicester capitalized on United’s sluggishness just before halftime. Bilal El Khannouss danced past Leny Yoro and cut the ball back to Wilfred Ndidi. His shot was initially saved by Andre Onana, but the rebound struck Bobby De Cordova-Reid and deflected into the net to give Leicester the lead.
At halftime, Roy Keane didn’t hold back during his analysis on ITV. “It’s shocking. Really, really poor,” he said. “No shot on target. They had two on target against Crystal Palace. They’re actually boring now.”
In search of a spark, United manager Ruben Amorim introduced Alejandro Garnacho at the break, replacing debutant Patrick Dorgu. It took more than an hour, however, for United to register their first shot on target.
Garnacho nearly leveled the score, only for Caleb Okoli to make a stunning last-ditch clearance that deflected off the crossbar and out of danger.
The pressure eventually paid off. Three minutes after Garnacho’s effort, his cross found Rasmus Hojlund in the box. Although Wout Faes blocked his attempt, the ball fell kindly for Joshua Zirkzee, who calmly slotted home his first goal since mid-December to equalize.
It looked as though extra time was inevitable until Maguire’s late intervention.
Fernandes whipped in a pinpoint free-kick, and the former Leicester defender rose highest to head in the winner, sending United through in dramatic fashion.
Speaking after the match, Amorim admitted the performance left much to be desired.
“We have to believe until the end, but this time has nothing to do with the time of Fergie,” he told ITV. “It was a good result, not a good performance. We didn’t have any energy in the first half. The second half was better, but there is a lot to improve.”
For Leicester, Van Nistelrooy expressed disappointment in the officiating. “We were not defeated in Fergie time, we are defeated in offside time,” he reiterated. “This was half a metre offside. That’s a hard one to take because the team deserved extra time. At our level, decisions like this are hard to swallow.”
The fifth-round draw for the FA Cup is scheduled for Monday, February 10, at around 7:10 p.m. as United look ahead to their next challenge.
