Manchester United extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches with a 5-2 rout over Bournemouth, while Leicester City finally got back to the winning ways after beating Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday. The results meant the Foxes managed to retain their third place by the slightest of the margins, while United continued to pose a great challenge to the top-four fight from the fifth place.

It was United’s exceptional academy graduate, Mason Greenwood, again who played a pivotal role in their victory with a brace. He was joined by Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes in the scoresheet.  Junior Stanislas and Joshua King saw the back of the net for Crystal at the empty Old Trafford.

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Much to everyone’s surprise, Crystal opened the scoring with Stanislas shooting past United keeper David De Gea at his near post in the 16th minute.

It took Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men 13 minutes to bring parity into the match when Fernandes picked out Greenwood. The 18-year-old, who got the ball on the edge of the area, took a meticulous strike to beat Bournemouth goalie Aaron Ramsdale and complete a perfect counter-attack from the home team.

United doubled their lead in the 35th minute after Adam Smith was found getting his hand into play. Rashford successfully converted the following penalty and overcame the little goal drought he had found himself in.

Solskjaer had said last week that he would want his team to seal the fate of the match in the first-half itself and it seemed the players had no problem obliging him. Martial joined the party in first-half stoppage-time. Cutting in from the left, the French striker produced a superb curling shot from outside the box which may become a contender for the ‘Goal of the Season’.

Martial and Rashford both now have 20 goals in all competitions this season — the first time a United pair have managed that since Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez in the 2010-11 campaign.

Bournemouth saw a little hope in the match after Joshua King converted a spot kick within four minutes of play after the break. Eric Bailly conceded the penalty after VAR found that he had touched the ball with his hand just inside his own box.

The home team, though, remain unscathed and went on with their business as Greenwood restored the two-goal lead in the 54th minute. He chose the top corner of Bournemouth’s net after eluding Diego Rico.

The Portuguese midfielder Fernandes, who has proven to be a brilliant signing and is currently the best Red Devil, could not stay far from the party as he continued his goal-scoring streak. He bent a powerful free-kick beyond Ramsdale’s reach in the 59th minute.

Vardy back in goals

At the King Power Stadium, on the other hand, Leicester City registered their maiden victory since the return of the Premier League after the COVID-19 hiatus. What was more satisfying for the Brendan Rodgers team was that their star striker Jamie Vardy got back into the goals.

With only two goals in 2020, Vardy had been under pressure to perform and he did so in some style as he scored a brace and also bagged reached the landmark of 100 Premier League goals.

After a goalless first half, Marc Albrighton and Ayoze Perez had combined to pick out Youri Tielemans. The latter then swung a cross into the six-yard box where Kelechi Iheanacho gave his team the lead.

Vardy then scored in the 77th minute and the 90th minute.