Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has expressed his frustration after his side finally ended their goal drought from corners in their 4-2 victory over Leeds United.
The Red Devils had a lot of pressure on their shoulders as they headed to Elland Road to take on fierce rivals Leeds. With Tottenham and Arsenal emerging with victories over the weekend, United needed to secure the win to maintain their place in the hunt for a top-four spot.
And despite the home faithful creating an intimidating atmosphere, the visitors quickly silenced the home fans. After a whopping 139 consecutive failed corners, Harry Maguire headed home to give Man United the lead.
They continued to build on their momentum. As the first half came to a close, Jadon Sancho’s beautifully delivered cross was finished by Bruno Fernandes.
But despite an impressive first half, Rangnick’s men could not hold onto their lead. Rodrigo’s attempt at a cross beat David de Gea to give Leeds something to fight for.
Then things went from bad to worse for the away team, as just 24 seconds later, Raphinha found the equaliser to level the scores at 2-2. United’s German boss knew he had to act, and the decision to bring on Fred worked wonders. The Brazilian smashed the ball past a helpless Illan Meslier to put his team back in the lead.
This time they weren’t going to let their lead slip. Instead, they were going to double it. Anthony Elanga slotted the ball home to put the icing on the cake and seal a 4-2 victory.
The win was an important one for United, who have found themselves back in fourth place. In addition, their remarkable corner streak is finally over.
Harry Maguire does the business for Manchester United
Pundits and fans alike have criticised the United captain for his performances this season. However, he produced an improved display in the victory over Leeds. And off the back of his goal, he’ is hoping that his teammates will continue to work on their set-pieces.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s embarrassing, every time I see the stat I feel embarrassed myself. I’m a big part of that set-piece routine and trying to score goals from corners.
“But as a team and a group, we’ve been nowhere near good enough. It’s a big part of the game. For sure, if we can score more from corners and set plays, then we’ll be higher up the table. Set plays are a massive part of the game.”
Read: Harry Maguire responds to reports that Cristiano Ronaldo will take over as Manchester United captain
After a difficult run of form this campaign, Harry Maguire will hope that his latest Man United goal and overall performance can spark an improvement over the coming weeks.
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