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Guinness Match of the Weekend: Manchester United vs. Leicester City

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Apr 28, 2016 11:10:44

Will the Foxes finally arrive at the end of the rainbow when they travel to Old Trafford on Sunday?

Guinness Made of Black Match of the Weekend: Manchester United vs. Leicester City
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: 14:05 (GMT +1) , Sunday May 1

It's a cliché you'll read over and over again this weekend, but it's serendipitous indeed that this weekend—of all weekends—Leicester City meet Manchester United at Old Trafford…the Theatre of Dreams.
Indeed, while the Red Devils have seen one or two dreams come true on that hallowed turf over the years—notably under Sir Alex Ferguson rather than recent seasons—it's the Foxes who will be hoping that they are on the receiving end of a bit of magic on Sunday.
All season, the whispers around the Premier League have been questioning when the wheels will come off for Claudio Ranieri's miracle men.
"Don't worry," rival fans muttered, "it'll never last."

Indeed, BBC pundit Robbie Savage—a former Leicester midfielder—could barely help himself as he giggled, time and time again, at another Foxes fan who called up the radio to forecast that maybe…just maybe…the East Midlanders could reach the Champions League.
"It'll never happen," Savage scoffed. "Leicester CANNOT win the title."
One of Savage's colleagues, and one of the Foxes all-time greats, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, boasted at the beginning of the season that he'll present the weekly show naked if his beloved side won their first-ever title.
Viewers will be in for a treat on the first day of next season!

Even as Leicester begun to demonstrate that they were genuine contenders, doubters forecast that the slump would come any day.
As the pressure of being in the midst of a challenge begun to dawn on Ranieri's side, they would surely begin to doubt themselves, second guess their previously pristine intuition, and cracks would show.
Only, they never did; as Arsenal and Manchester City drifted out of the title race, Leicester upped their game and demonstrated that hard-nosed pragmatism that would have seen Ferguson lionised.
Having lost to Arsenal away on Valentine's Day, Leicester appeared primed for a wobble, yet they went on to take 23 points from their next nine matches, dropping only four.

Opta Facts

After winning nine Premier League games in a row against Leicester, the Red Devils have now won just one of their last three against the Foxes (D1 L1).
Leicester City have now won 22 league games this season – their highest tally in a top-flight season, overtaking both 1928-29 and 1965-66 (21 wins).
Manchester United need to win five points in their remaining four league games to equal their lowest points tally in a Premier League campaign (64 in 2013-14).
Claudio Ranieri has won just two of his previous nine Premier League matches as a manager against Manchester United (W2 D5 L2); these coming in December 2001 and November 2003 as Chelsea boss.
Coming in to this matchday, Riyad Mahrez is the only player to have reached double figures for both goals (17) and assists (11) in the Premier League this season.
Wayne Rooney has currently scored 99 Premier League goals at Old Trafford; the only player to have scored 100+ at a single ground in the competition is Thierry Henry at Highbury (114).
Leicester City are one of just three clubs which Wayne Rooney has faced with Manchester United in the top-flight without scoring (also Blackpool and Derby). He did, however, score two in the Premier League against the Foxes for Everton.
Rooney only has seven Premier League goals this season; he's only failed to reach double figures in two league campaigns; 2002-03 at Everton (6) and 2003-04 at Everton (9).
If they win this match, Leicester City will become the first team to win their first top-flight league title in England since Nottingham Forest in 1977-78.
Leicester City could become the 24th different team to win the English top-flight league title, doing so against the team that has won the most top-flight titles in England (Manchester United; 20).

In five fixtures between the beginning of March and mid April, they didn't concede a match, scoring six goals.

This was surely the run where the title was won, and when Tottenham Hotspur, their last outstanding rival, fell to a home draw against West Bromwich Albion on Monday evening, Leicester's wonderful campaign appeared set to arrive at a perfect conclusion.
Leicester have three matches to play, and need only three more points to guarantee their maiden championship.
Those fixtures—away at United, home against Everton, away at reigning champions Chelsea—are tricky, but at this late stage—having lost once in the league all year—does anyone really doubt that Leicester are on the brink of history?

Victory at United on Sunday would secure the championship, meaning that Leicester could parade the title before their own fans at the King Power Stadium against Everton next weekend.
Even by the Red Devils' lofty standards, that would be one hell of a dream!

Guinness weekly winners story:
Ajayi Emmanuel

Played min 54 for Everton in Manchester City v Everton

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