Leicester 0-3 Man United: Bruno Fernandes stars again as Red Devils extend unbeaten run to four games

Twenty-two hours and 19 minutes. For the best part of a whole day playing in front of goal, Rasmus Hojlund had waited for this moment. Screamed to the heavens in frustration, cursed his luck and hung his head in despair.

As the chances came and went and the games ticked by, Hojlund must have wondered if a goal would ever come.

In the three months since he scored twice in the Europa League against Viktoria Plzen – historically a pub team, you could argue – the Dane’s killer instinct had deserted him and a funk had set in.

The £72million striker continued to give everything for his team, but nothing could hide the confidence draining out of him.

Then in the 28th minute of game No.22, Hojlund ended his drought at the King Power Stadium last night.

Manuel Ugarte won the ball inside his own half and played it to Bruno Fernandes on the right touchline. The United captain spotted Hojlund’s run and curled a pass that Boubakary Soumare should have cut out but didn’t.

Bruno Fernandes starred again as the Red Devils skipper netted once and gave two assists

Rasmus Hojlund ended his dry spell in front of goal, which last saw him score on December 12

There was still work to do but Wout Faes backed off and Hojlund nudged the ball to one side before rifling it inside the far post. The relief on his face was plain to see, that cut-throat celebration from Gladiator a long time coming.

If you need a goal then Leicester is the place to score it. Alejandro Garnacho had waited 24 games before he struck for United’s second last night before Bruno Fernandes, a man in a rich vein of form at the moment, scored again to give Manchester United victory at the end of an encouraging week that brought a draw against Arsenal and progress to the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a handsome win over Real Sociedad.

Whisper it, but some semblance of method is starting to emerge under Ruben Amorim from the madness of this season.

The only negative was an injury to Ayden Heaven after another assured performance from the young defender was cut short when he was stretchered off early in the second half.

For Leicester, meanwhile, the threat of relegation looms larger than ever after their fourth defeat to United in all competitions this season.

The Foxes are nine points from safety with nine games to go, exactly the same position they were in 10 years ago before pulling off a great escape under Nigel Pearson by winning seven of them.

But there is an air resignation around the place now, and understandably so as the final whistle brought weary boos from the few fans who had stayed around long enough to hear it.

Leicester have now lost 13 of their last 14 league games, and have become the first team in top-flight history to suffer defeat in seven successive home fixtures without scoring.

Leicester’s miserable form continues, as they have now lost 13 of their last 14 league games

They rarely looked like beating Andre Onana last night. There was some uncertainty over the United keeper’s fitness for this game, but he was on his toes to block from Jamie Vardy as early as the fourth minute and still unbeaten in eight minutes of added time at the end when he saved again from the former England striker.

Otherwise, Onana was protected resolutely by a United defence in which Heaven once excelled on only his second start. The teenager was a picture of composure as he kept Patson Daka under wraps, and then produced a great block just before half-time on one of the few occasions Leicester’s No.20 got a sight of goal.

It was such a pity that Heaven lasted less than five minutes of the second half as he was carried off after twisting awkwardly after shepherding Vardy’s cross away from Daka.

United didn’t offer much more threat going forward for almost half an hour of the game. Ugarte lifted two efforts over the bar from distance and Christian Eriksen rattled the post after exchanging passes with Fernandes from a corner and swinging the ball over Mads Hermansen.

Then in the 28th minute came Hojlund’s big moment. Up to that point he had huffed and puffed as usual, limping away from a heavy challenge on the touchline from Conor Coady.

But when Soumare missed Fernandes’ pass and opportunity knocked, he held his nerve to find the net at last.

United still had to stand strong to preserve their lead until half-time, Ugarte getting back brilliantly to stop Ndidi reaching Victor Kristiansen’s cross to the far post.

Following Heaven’s departure, United reshuffled their defence several times to defend their lead in the swirling second-half rain.

Ruben Amorim’s side are unbeaten in their last four and have lost just one of their last seven

The only blot on United’s day was the injury to their exciting young defender Ayden Heaven

But Amorim’s side remained resolute and none more so when Matthijs De Ligt made a brilliant block to deny substitute Facundo Buonanotte a certain goal.

By then, United were two up. Garnacho had already had one effort chalked off for a narrow offside in the 57th minute when he made one count 10 minutes later.

Leicester failed to clear the danger on the edge of their box and Fernandes prodded the ball through to Garnacho who span to beat Hermansen with a low effort inside his near post.

Fernandes capped it off in the 90th minute with his 16th goal of the season and fifth in the past week. Casemiro sprayed a pass out to Diogo Dalot on the right and he pulled the ball back to the edge of the box where Fernandes was waiting to meet it with the sweetest of strikes, sweeping a shot into the corner.

Nothing was going to keep Hojlund out of the headlines, though.