Manchester United captain Harry Maguire answered his critics with an impressive showing against Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The centre-back has been the subject of criticism from some fans and pundits in recent weeks, particularly with his unconvincing defensive performances.
However, he proved his worth at Elland Road with a solid display, winning 100 per cent of his duels while registering two tackles and two interceptions.
The £43.2m star also opened the scoring with United’s first corner goal of the season. The Red Devils eventually sealed a 4-2 win against Leeds.
It was far from a vintage performance from United. They deserved their two-goal lead at the interval, but squandered the advantage after the break.
Rodrigo’s attempted cross found its way into the back of David de Gea’s net in the 53th minute. Within less than a minute, Raphinha levelled the scores.
It was partly down to Luke Shaw’s loss of concentration, but United made amends with Fred and Anthony Elanga scoring after coming off the bench.
The victory has taken United to 46 points on the table. They have a four-point lead for the fourth spot, but a number of rivals have games in hand to catch up.
Still, points on the board are better than matches in hand. There have been several occasions this season where teams with extra games to play have failed to win.
United’s immediate focus will now shift to the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid. They travel to Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday.
Maguire and Lindelof were both influential against Leeds yesterday. Lindelof produced a superb lung-bursting run which created the chance for Bruno Fernandes’ goal.
Despite this, the Swede may probably drop to the bench in midweek. Raphael Varane only made a late five-minute appearance yesterday after overcoming a stomach issue.
Varane has vast experience facing Atletico from his decade-long career at Real Madrid. He should receive a hostile reception, but that could bring the best out of him.
