As the Premier League season hurtles towards its conclusion, it may seem as though the last few rounds of matches are devoid of any significance, since all the major issues and questions have been resolved. Manchester City have been crowned champions, the bottom three have all been relegated with three rounds of fixtures to go, which is the earliest this has ever happened in a Premier League season, while most of the European places have been decided as well. However, it is not all determined yet there are still Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League spots up for grabs, even if that last tournament may be something teams try to avoid rather than qualify for, and Leicester Citys visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United would prove to be a pivotal clash in this context.
This tactical analysis piece will consider both sides tactical approach in this match, providing context around Uniteds defeat that confirmed Manchester City as champions, as well as pointing out recurring errors from the home side, while also showing how and why Leicesters setup was effective.
Lineups
Ole Gunnar Solskjær had already indicated that Uniteds hectic schedule would see him make wholesale changes for this match, ahead of a marquee clash against Liverpool just two days later, and so it proved, as he made 10 changes to the side that defeated Aston Villa at the weekend. David de Gea returned between the posts behind a completely new back four, as Brandon Williams, Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe and Alex Telles lined up in defence. Donny van de Beek received a rare start in midfield alongside Nemanja Matić, with Juan Mata as the playmaker, while 18-year-old Swedish winger Anthony Elanga made his debut. January signing Amad also received his first appearance in the league, while Mason Greenwood was the only player retained from the weekends XI.
Brendan Rodgers also made a few changes to his side with one eye on this weekends FA Cup final against Chelsea. Jonny Evans was still injured, which meant that Rodgers changed to a back four, with Luke Thomas coming in at left-back, Timothy Castagne moving to right-back from the centre-back role he played in the last game, and Wesley Fofana and Çağlar Söyüncü as the centre-backs. Marc Albrighton and Ayoze Pérez were the wingers, while Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy continued upfront.
