IF it is any consolation to Manchester United fans this has put a severe dent in Liverpool’s hope of qualifying for the Champions League.
Maybe that was the plan all along for the protesters.
Get the game against Klopp’s men postponed, leading to fixture congestion that forced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to field a severely weakened side allowing Leicester to get a vital three points towards securing a place in the top four.
Now United can field their strongest team again for the visit of Liverpool on Thursday night and maybe all but condemn them to Europe’s second competition.
Genius.
Of course the downside to this defeat was that it handed the title to Manchester City as the champagne on the rapidly melting ice at The Etihad could finally be popped.
Had United won this and Thursday’s game they would have reduced the gap to four points before City played again on Friday.
But Solskjkaer had little choice but to make the ten changes from their impressive comeback win at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Three games in five days dictated that.
For a while they stood strong as Mason Greenwood’s eighth goal in 11 games on 15 minutes cancelled out Luke Thomas’ spectacular opener five minutes earlier.
But the curious timing of Solskjaer’s double substitution as Leicester prepared to take a corner contributed to Caglar Soyuncu powering home a header to win this on 66 minutes.
Leicester had come fearing the drop through the top four trap door for a second season running.
Last season they lost three of their last four, with their fate sealed on the final day when United themselves won at the King Power to ensure third while the Foxes dropped to fifth.
So this recent run of three defeats and a draw in their last seven, including a 4-2 home drubbing at the hands of Newcastle last time out, set alarm bells ringing.
Even with the FA Cup final coming up on Saturday, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers was taking no chances with his team selection, making just two changes.
They had a brilliant start too with a goal that 19-year-old Thomas will not forget – his first Premier League strike for the club.
Youri Tielemans delivered a superb chipped cross from the right and Thomas screamed in at the far post to deliver a side foot volley back into the far top corner.
While that was a moment to remember for the left-back, five minutes later he had one to forget as he was at fault for the United equaliser.
Captain on the night Nemanja Matic delivered a long searching ball from the back and Amad muscled Thomas off it to win control.
Turning back, the Ivory Coast star fed Greenwood and Leicester hearts were in their mouths.
With his left foot, the Red Devils star skated between two blue shirts and with his right he fired a shot back across Kasper Schmeichel into the far bottom corner.
Two teenagers entrusted with the red shirts combining to score – it’s the sort of stuff this club loves.
While Greenwood is another great academy product, Amad came via Atalanta where he had played only 76 minutes of first team football.
It was enough to convince those who had tracked him from Manchester that he would be worth £37million.
This was a full debut for the 18-year-old, as it was for Swedish-born winger Anthony Elanga, 19.
Such was the need for change even Donny van de Deek got a start but the former Ajax man once again left us scratching our heads.
Was he really that good at Ajax? Or is the Eredivisie so inferior to the Premier League?
Despite all the changes United held strong in the first period but all the disruption told in the second.
Leicester got a grip early in the second period with David De Gea needing to make an excellent point-blank save just short of the hour.
So Solskjaer decided to take the fight back to them by bringing on both Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani.
But he made the two changes as Leicester were preparing for a corner, which managers do not normally do.
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It disrupts any set-piece plans that were in place and it was Rashford who lost Soyuncu and the Turkish star rose high to head home Marc Albrighton’s delivery.
That decided it. Leicester celebrated at the whistle with Rodgers embracing his players.
Top four within touching distance, now for an FA Cup final.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
