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Manchester United 1-1 Leicester: Five talking points from Old Trafford

Danny Drinkwater sent off by referee Michael Oliver in Leicester's 1-1 draw at Manchester United, Premier League

Leicester were made to wait to clinch the Premier League title after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Anthony Martial put the hosts in front after just eight minutes on Super Sunday when he dispatched Antonio Valencia's cross, but Wes Morgan headed home Danny Drinkwater's free-kick nine minutes later to level the scores.

Leicester had Drinkwater sent off in the closing stages of the second half, but the hosts were unable to take advantage and Claudio Ranieri's men will now be crowned title winners if Tottenham fail to win at Chelsea on Monday Night Football.

From Leicester's wait to United's top-four chances, we pick out five talking points from an entertaining game at Old Trafford...

Leicester one step closer

Leicester players cheer the crowd after they gain a point closer to the title
Image: Leicester players applaud the crowd after they went a point closer to the title

The thousands of Leicester supporters who made the trip to Old Trafford were hoping for a famous win to clinch the title, but there was still plenty of enjoyment to be taken from this hard-fought draw. Leicester will be champions if Tottenham stumble on Monday night, and the away end was still bouncing long after the final whistle at Old Trafford.

It looked like it might be a different story when Martial struck United's early opener, but Leicester's character shone through as they weathered the storm and regained their composure. Ranieri's side have only lost one of the last 10 league games in which they have fallen behind, and they had chances to win it after Morgan's leveller.

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Wes Morgan admitted Leicester had to work very hard for a point at Old Trafford

"The last thing you want is to go 1-0 down that early but credit to the skipper and the boys, we dug deep," defender Danny Simpson told Sky Sports. "We did what we've done all season. We showed our character, got an important goal and kept going. It would have been nice to have won it here, but it's a good point."

Former Leicester midfielder Neil Lennon was equally impressed. "They had to dig deep," he told Sky Sports. "They didn't start the game well but the goal gave them a slap in the face and they responded really well with the equaliser. I thought they played really well in the second half and maybe could have nicked it. It's one point more to the title."

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Penalty flashpoints

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The Super Sunday panel felt Leicester were fortunate not to have a penalty awarded against them

The game was not without controversy. The first flashpoint came when Marouane Fellaini appeared to swing an elbow at Robert Huth in the 22nd minute, and shortly before half-time, Leicester were denied what Lennon described as a "stonewall penalty" when Riyad Mahrez was felled by Marcos Rojo.

"There's no question about it, even though I've got blue-tinted glasses on," said Lennon. "Mahrez comes inside Rojo and does what he always does, with a little check-back onto his right foot. Rojo dangles a leg out and for me, he brings him down. It's a stonewall penalty."

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Louis van Gaal says United should have been awarded a penalty when Robert Huth pulled Marouane Fellaini's hair in the box

United were denied a spot-kick of their own when Drinkwater pulled back Memphis Depay in the 86th minute. The Leicester midfielder was shown a second yellow card and United were awarded a free-kick by referee Michael Oliver, but replays showed the incident appeared to take place inside the box.

As for Fellaini, Graeme Souness expects the FA to take retrospective action. "Huth is lucky because Fellaini has caught him under the chin," he told Sky Sports. "If that catches him square across his face, then he's lost several teeth or broken his nose and I don't think he can stay on the pitch. Fellaini won't escape a ban for that. I just can't see it."

Magic Mahrez dazzles again

Marcos Rojo of Manchester United challenges Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City
Image: Riyad Mahrez appeared to be fouled by Marcos Rojo in the first half

Just a week after he was named PFA Player of the Year, Mahrez produced exactly the kind of performance that has made him such a deserved winner. The Algerian shouldered more responsibility than ever in the absence of the suspended Jamie Vardy, and while he did not score or assist the goal, he certainly did not disappoint.

Mahrez provided a vital outlet on the break for Leicester - who had just 30 per cent of the possession - with his silky first touch and mazy dribbling making him a constant menace, up until he was substituted to a standing ovation from the travelling fans in the 87th minute.

Top dribbler

Riyad Mahrez completed more dribbles (eight) than any other player in Leicester's draw with Manchester United.

The 25-year-old was unfortunate not to win a penalty when he bamboozled Rojo in the first half, and he also provided four scoring chances for his team-mates. Mahrez matched his quality with a tireless work ethic. Of his Leicester team-mates, only N'Golo Kante and Leonardo Ulloa covered more ground (11.10km).

Rooney better in midfield?

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Wayne Rooney felt Manchester United dominated the second half against Leicester and deserved to win

With Marcus Rashford keeping his place as United's lone striker flanked by Martial and Jesse Lingard, Wayne Rooney continued his recent run of games in central midfield. The United captain certainly seemed to enjoy the new role alongside Fellaini and Michael Carrick.

He saw plenty of the ball, with only Antonio Valencia having more touches, and he completed 66 of his 77 passes at a rate of 85.7 per cent. That total included a string of excellent long-range passes, 13 of which found a team-mate and many of which opened up the play to set up the home side's attacks.

Rooney embraced the defensive side of his game as he completed more ball recoveries (10) than any other player on the pitch, and there were plenty of shooting chances too as he forced Kasper Schmeichel into saves on two occasions.

Man Utd's top-four hopes dented

Claudio Ranieri shakes hands with Louis van Gaal
Image: Claudio Ranieri shakes hands with Louis van Gaal after the final whistle

While Leicester celebrated another step towards the title, it was a case of two points dropped for Louis van Gaal's side. United started brightly but the draw leaves them four points behind Manchester City, and their hopes of a top-four finish look remote, with just three games of the season to play.

Van Gaal could not hide his disappointment after the game. "I've seen one of the best matches of the season, but it's not enough, you have to score," he told reporters. "They are specialists on waiting for the opponent and counter-attacking. We didn't give much away. They only really threatened at set-pieces. Mathematically we can make fourth, but it's a big gap."

With 60 points, United are still four short of the total they reached in the chaotic 2013/14 season under David Moyes. Even three consecutive wins against Norwich, West Ham and Bournemouth might not be enough to lift them into the top four, and an end-of-season total of 69 points would still be their second lowest of the last 24 years. 

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