Consider this stat before United v Leicester

Thursday 31 March 2022 07:00

If you are wondering how this weekend’s Premier League match between Manchester United and Leicester City might play out, then there’s an Opta stat that may influence your thinking.

According to records kept by the data experts, the Reds have scored a league-high 10 goals via substitutes this season, with Marcus Rashford netting four of them - also a Premier League high in 2021/22. 

The first five of those were scored under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the second five have been registered during Ralf Rangnick’s time. In chronological order, they include: 

Jesse Lingard v Newcastle United
Jesse Lingard v West Ham United
Marcus Rashford v Leicester City
Marcus Rashford v Tottenham Hotspur
Donny van de Beek v Watford
Edinson Cavani v Newcastle United
Marcus Rashford v Brentford
Marcus Rashford v West Ham United
Fred v Leeds United
Anthony Elanga v Leeds United
Ten league goals by subs this season Video

Ten league goals by subs this season

We've scored 10 Premier League goals via substitutes this season and that's more than any other club...

Meanwhile, no side has conceded more goals to substitutes this season than Leicester (7), so could these statistics have a bearing when the sides meet at Old Trafford on Saturday?

The 17:30 BST kick-off is vitally important to United’s hopes of finishing in the top four and a win is essential, with North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham currently above us in the table. 

If the action is tight, don't be surprised if a decisive moment comes from a replacement - considering the aforementioned pre-match stat.

We invite you to play our United Predictions game ahead of the fixture, which challenges fans to correctly name the line-up, formation, first scorer, correct score and Man of the Match.

Correct predictions earn points and the fan with the highest score enters a draw to win a signed shirt. 

Good luck! 

OTHER TRENDING PRE-MATCH STATS

At least one English player has scored for United in each of the last seven Premier League games against Leicester. Only against Wimbledon have the Reds had a longer run with an English player scoring each time (9 between March 1995 and April 1999, excluding own goals).

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 12 Premier League goals this season – in the competition’s history, only Gianfranco Zola has scored more in a single campaign aged 36 or over (14 in 2002/03).

Looking at the opposition, James Maddison has both scored (13) and been directly involved in (20) more goals in all competitions than any other Leicester player this season. In his career in English football, only in 2017/18 with Norwich (15 goals, 11 assists) has he been involved in more goals.

Hear from the players: