New Delhi: The fourth round of the FA Cup kicked off in dramatic and controversial fashion as Manchester United secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round at Old Trafford, thanks to a stoppage-time header from Harry Maguire. The match seemed destined for extra time before the former Leicester City defender rose to meet Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick in the 93rd minute, sending the home crowd into raptures.
The result offered a much-needed boost for United, who have endured a difficult season and had won just two of their previous seven home games. However, the win was not without controversy, as Maguire appeared to be in an offside position when he met Fernandes’ delivery. With the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) not in use at this stage of the competition, the goal stood, leaving Leicester players and fans frustrated.
The win didn’t come easy for Manchester United, like most of their games this season. Ruben Amorim’s side was struggling in the first half and it was evident to all watching. The Red Devils failed to register a single shot against Leicester City in the first half and their former interim manager, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who sits in the Leicester City dugout now, took full advantage of United’s struggles.
Leicester deservedly went ahead just before the break when Wilfred Ndidi’s powerful shot was parried by Andre Onana, but Bobby De Cordova-Reid reacted quickest to head home the rebound in the 42nd minute. January signing Patrick Dorgu was handed his debut tonight by manager Ruben Amorim but it was cut short as Amorim decided to bring on Alejandro Garnacho in place of the Italian at halftime.
Get in! The Reds leave it late but we are in the hat for the fifth round 👏🎩#MUFC || #FACup
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 7, 2025
The Argentine winger immediately injected energy into the attack, tormenting Leicester’s defense with his direct running and quick footwork. He came close to scoring himself when his shot was cleared off the line by Caleb Okoli, who also managed to deflect the follow-up onto the crossbar. However, the winger’s persistence paid off in the 68th minute when his cross found Rasmus Hojlund.
The Dane’s shot was blocked, but substitute Joshua Zirkzee was in the right place to slot home the equalizer just minutes after coming on. United were back on level terms in similar fashion to how they went behind. With momentum on their side, United pushed forward in search of a winner, while Leicester, to their credit, remained resilient and looked set to take the match into extra time.
However, in the dying moments of stoppage time, Fernandes whipped in a dangerous free-kick, and Maguire timed his run perfectly to head past goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. The late goal sparked wild celebrations among the United players, while Leicester’s protests fell on deaf ears. Without VAR, there was no review of the potential offside, and Amorim’s side held on to book their place in the fifth round.
Why didn’t VAR rule out Harry Maguire’s goal?
Harry Maguire appeared to be offside for his 90+3′ winning goal for Man United vs. Leicester.
VAR isn’t used in the fourth round of the FA Cup. pic.twitter.com/6NGPbMJZtc
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 7, 2025
Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time winner against Leicester City in the FA Cup wasn’t ruled out despite appearing to be offside because VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is not in use at this stage of the competition. Despite the technology being used in earlier seasons throughout the competition, the FA decided to change it’s rules regarding the use of VAR before the tournament began.
The FA Cup only uses VAR in matches played at Premier League stadiums. However, in the early rounds of the competition, it is not consistently available across all fixtures, especially when lower-league teams host games at their stadiums where VAR facilities are not installed. In order to maintain fairness across all fixtures in a given round, the FA decided that VAR would not be used in any fourth-round match, even at Premier League venues like Old Trafford.
Leicester City players and fans were understandably frustrated by the lack of VAR, as they believed Maguire’s goal could have been disallowed had the technology been in place. Given that Maguire’s offside call was a close one, it is possible that the assistant referee wasn’t able to spot it in real time. With the FA’s decision to remove VAR from this round, the call was left to the referee and assistants on the field, and the goal was ultimately allowed to stand.
Manchester United came from behind to seal a comeback win over Leicester City courtesy a last minute winner via former Leicester City defender Harry Maguire in their FA Cup fourth round fixture. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
