The final international break of 2024 is here, and we can safely say the Premier League is starting to take shape.
Opta's supercomputer now has Liverpool, who are five points clear at the top following their win over Aston Villa on Saturday, as the favourites to go on and win the title.
Manchester City lost a fourth straight game in all competitions as they went down 2-1 at Brighton, while Chelsea and Arsenal are third and fourth respectively after sharing the points.
When assessing the underlying metrics, it looks like Sunday's draw at Stamford Bridge was a fair result, but that was not the case across the board this weekend.
Here, we pick out the lucky winners and unlucky losers from matchday 11.
Lucky winners: Manchester United
Manchester United are now under new management, with Ruben Amorim officially starting as head coach on Monday. But interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy ensured he went out with a high as the Red Devils beat Leicester City 3-0 on Sunday.
However, it is fair to say United were rather fortunate to net three times at Old Trafford, with the data suggesting they did not even create chances worthy of one goal, never mind three.
United's expected goals (xG) was 0.69, the third-lowest total in the league this weekend and behind Leicester's 0.77.
Bruno Fernandes scored one and set up another on his 250th appearance for the club, either side of Victor Kristiansen's own goal, but from 13 shots, United, who had only 17 touches in Leicester's box, really did not create much in the way of quality opportunities.
Indeed, their attacking quality instead told, with Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho finishing well. At the other end, Leicester failed to make their moments count, despite hitting the target with five of their six shots.
Spare a thought for Erik ten Hag, given when he was in charge, United's attack was underperforming. Now Amorim just needs to pick up where Van Nistelrooy left off...
Unlucky losers: Manchester City
Man City are suddenly the crisis club, having lost four straight games for the first time since August 2006. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, has lost four games in a row in all competitions for the very first time in his managerial career.
Erling Haaland also lost a Premier League match in which he scored a goal for the very first time, having put City ahead before Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley clinched the points for Brighton.
Brighton finished with 2.29 xG, so they did deserve to score at least twice. However, City can still consider themselves unfortunate, given their 2.22 xG was the third-highest of any team across the weekend.
Their post-shot expected goals on target (xGoT) also rose to 2.98, showing that Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was on fine form.
City also created five big chances, missing four of them, and hit the woodwork once. That being said, they conceded eight big chances, with Brighton letting them off for six of those, so it was not a good day at the office for Guardiola.
Unlucky losers: Bournemouth
If Man City were unfortunate, then the team to have created the highest xG (2.61) this past weekend – Bournemouth – can consider themselves hard done by.
Andoni Iraola claimed his team were worthy of the three points against Brentford, despite the Cherries losing 3-2, and the underlying metrics suggest the Spaniard was fair in his assessment.
Only Tottenham (35 in their loss against Ipswich Town) had more touches in the opponent's box than Bournemouth's 34 at the Gtech Community Stadium, but Iraola's side were made to pay for some dismal finishing.
Their xGoT dropped to 1.68, while Brentford's rose from 1.48 xG to 1.84 xGoT – essentially, the level of finishing from Brentford's players increased the likelihood they would score, while Bournemouth's finishing was below what would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances they had. That is further backed up by the fact the Cherries only got three of their 15 attempts on target.
Ruud van Nistelrooy praised Manchester United's fight to earn a 3-0 win against Leicester City in his final game as interim manager.
The Dutchman took over after Erik ten Hag's dismissal last month and went unbeaten in his short stint, winning three of his games and drawing the other, with Ruben Amorim set to take over from Monday.
Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho got the goals on either side of Victor Kristiansen turning into the back of his own net to earn United just their fourth Premier League win of the campaign.
United are now unbeaten in 19 straight Premier League games against promoted sides, taking 53 of a possible 57 points across these matches (W17 D2). Their last such defeat came away to Claudio Ranieri's Watford back in November 2021 (1-4).
It is not yet clear if Van Nistelrooy will remain at the club on Amorim's coaching staff, but the former United striker is proud of his short time in charge at Old Trafford.
"It was professional, you could see that players were fighting through the game," he told BBC Sport. "We scored two great goals and there were some good bits, but we didn't have real control of the game.
"I really enjoyed it [being interim manager], it's been a short but amazing period. We are in an uncertain position, but we tried to do our jobs and help the club, which is important.
"There are a lot of feelings there, the way the fans supported me and the team always in difficult moments. It was a special moment. To close down this block of games with good results and a good connection, I can't thank them enough.
"We will learn what the plan is now.
"This spell was a big responsibility; I took it very seriously. I wanted to help and get United into a better place. That was my goal. With three wins and a draw, it's a standard where you want to grow to as a club.
"The connection with the fans was there, I really felt it. This is what United is really about."
Going into their match against Leicester, United had scored just nine league goals, their lowest-ever tally after 10 games in Premier League history.
Fernandes scored four goals under Van Nistelrooy’s leadership, having failed to hit the back of the net in the league before that, bringing up his 100th goal involvement in the Premier League with his assist for Garnacho.
"You saw the class of the team in our goals, we also gave very little away," Van Nistelrooy added.
"We tried to stabilise after a difficult and emotional period. We wanted to get players performing at their best, we got the right feeling to them and got them to believe in themselves.
"It was an important three points. In the four games, Bruno scored some important goals, assisting too, so he is back producing. That's the Bruno that is helping the team the most.
"I spoke to Alejandro Garnacho before the game, he has played a lot of minutes, and I wanted him to make an impact off the bench, and I'm glad it worked out. We said: 'Let's make the most of these four games', get the maximum out of it and I think we did an OK job."
Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United must get back to where they belong under Ruben Amorim, having returned to winning ways against Leicester City in the Premier League.
The United captain marked his 250th appearance for the club with a goal and an assist in their 3-0 victory, also forcing Victor Kristiansen into an own goal in the first half.
He has now been directly involved in 100 goals in 170 appearances for United in the Premier League, reaching this milestone with just one more appearance than Cristiano Ronaldo (169) did.
Having gone unbeaten in their four games in all competitions under interim coach Ruud van Nistelrooy after Erik ten Hag's departure last month, United are now preparing for the arrival of new boss Amorim on Monday.
Fernandes was happy to help Van Nistelrooy sign off with a win and is hopeful that United can kick on under their new coach.
"It was a long time that I wasn't scoring and now goals are coming in the last few games," Fernandes said.
"Another clean sheet was important for us to bring back the fortress we had here. We have to keep doing that and we have to improve.
"Ruud van Nistelrooy fills the club, he loves the club, he wants to bring joy to the players. He brought everyone with a smile to the games, he just wanted us to enjoy it. We wanted to say goodbye as a manager for him properly because he did good things for us.
"It's a new era, a new manager means everything changes, but what hasn't changed is that this club has to get back to where it belongs."
Leicester failed to score in a Premier League match for the first time this season, despite an improved second-half performance.
This defeat means they have won just two of their 11 league matches this season (D4 L5), only having fewer wins at this stage of a single Premier League campaign on one occasion (one in 2001-02).
They had a big chance in either half, with Andre Onana making fine stops to keep out Wilfried Ndidi and Jordan Ayew as Leicester struggled to show their usual attacking threat in Jamie Vardy's absence.
But Steve Cooper was not using that as an excuse for their performance on Sunday.
"The result will paint the picture but, in the end, we didn't show enough desire in either penalty area. We let two unopposed shots from outside the area for the goals," Cooper said.
"Two of the goals have come from our corners as well, which is frustrating. It wasn't a dangerous position, but we made it dangerous. At the other end, we got into good areas but didn't show that same desire.
"Our general play was fine but, in the end, we didn't have the purpose. We had good spells, we were in the game, it didn't feel like they were going to score the next goal.
"We can't just say we missed Jamie Vardy; we can't be reliant on that."
Bruno Fernandes proved the difference as Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Leicester City.
The United captain, making his 250th appearance for the club, had a hand in all three goals, ensuring Ruud van Nistelrooy signed off as interim manager with a win.
Fernandes opened the scoring 17 minutes in before his presence forced Victor Kristiansen to turn it into the back of his own net 21 minutes later.
Alejandro Garnacho rounded off the scoring late on with a stunning strike to wrap up a comfortable win at Old Trafford on Sunday.
United move onto 15 points but remain 13th in the table, while Leicester stay two places behind them on 10 points.
Data Debrief: All About Bruno
While much has been made of Fernandes' lack of goals this season, he looks to have found his groove once again and marked his landmark day with an impressive performance.
The midfielder has now been directly involved in 100 goals in 170 appearances for United in the top-flight, reaching this milestone with just one more appearance than Cristiano Ronaldo (169) had upon doing so.
Since his debut in February 2020, he has played in more matches than any other player for a Premier League club across all competitions, while only Mohamed Salah (198) has been involved in more goals for such clubs than him (155 - 83 goals, 72 assists).
United scored more goals in the first half on Sunday (two) than in the first halves of their previous eight Premier League home games combined (one).
Ruud van Nistelrooy is keen to become Manchester United manager one day but says he wants to return to his role as assistant coach under new boss Ruben Amorim.
Having returned to Old Trafford as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants in the summer, he has stepped up as caretaker head coach since his compatriot was sacked last month.
Van Nistelrooy has overseen victories over Leicester City in the EFL Cup and PAOK in the Europa League, drawing his other game against Chelsea in the Premier League.
The Foxes are the visitors once again to Old Trafford in the Dutchman's final game in charge on Sunday before Amorim takes the reins the following day.
Asked if he would like to manage the team he scored 150 goals for during his playing days, Van Nistelrooy said: "Yeah, of course.
"I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United as an assistant manager or assistant coach," Van Nistelrooy said.
"I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion, where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club in also an assistant role.
"I had clear ambitions to manage. I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant, and I'm still in that frame of mind to stay in that capacity."
The 48-year-old does have managerial experience, too. He was previously the manager of PSV Eindhoven, winning the Dutch Cup in his only season in charge.
During his short tenure in the Netherlands, he won 34 of his 50 games in charge (D8 L8), scoring 126 goals and ending with a win percentage of 66.67%.
Van Nistelrooy is under contract with United until 2026, but question marks have been raised over his future with Amorim set to bring in his own staff.
But he insisted that this weekend's sole focus is on ensuring that United are in the best possible shape for Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford.
"I called it an important period because I think it was important to get through the four games as good as we could," said Van Nistelrooy.
"I think we've done very well so far. The players have reacted very well in the games.
"The focus now is to build on that and show that on Sunday, with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.
"I don't know if it will be very emotional. I take it very pragmatically as well, although I am proud to be able to fulfil this. We'll see how I feel on Sunday."
And while this may be Van Nistelrooy's second Old Trafford farewell, he has reason to be confident of ending his latest Red Devils stint on a high.
United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is keen to become Manchester United manager one day but says he wants to return to his role as assistant coach under new boss Ruben Amorim.
Having returned to Old Trafford as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants in the summer, he has stepped up as caretaker head coach since his compatriot was sacked last month.
Van Nistelrooy has overseen victories over Leicester City in the EFL Cup and PAOK in the Europa League, drawing his other game against Chelsea in the Premier League.
The Foxes are the visitors once again to Old Trafford in the Dutchman's final game in charge on Sunday before Amorim takes the reins the following day.
Asked if he would like to manage the team he scored 150 goals for during his playing days, Van Nistelrooy said: "Yeah, of course.
"I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United as an assistant manager or assistant coach," Van Nistelrooy said.
"I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion, where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club in also an assistant role.
"I had clear ambitions to manage. I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant, and I'm still in that frame of mind to stay in that capacity."
The 48-year-old does have managerial experience, too. He was previously the manager of PSV Eindhoven, winning the Dutch Cup in his only season in charge.
During his short tenure in the Netherlands, he won 34 of his 50 games in charge (D8 L8), scoring 126 goals and ending with a win percentage of 66.67%.
Van Nistelrooy is under contract with United until 2026, but question marks have been raised over his future with Amorim set to bring in his own staff.
But he insisted that this weekend's sole focus is on ensuring that United are in the best possible shape for Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford.
"I called it an important period because I think it was important to get through the four games as good as we could," said Van Nistelrooy.
"I think we've done very well so far. The players have reacted very well in the games.
"The focus now is to build on that and show that on Sunday, with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.
"I don't know if it will be very emotional. I take it very pragmatically as well, although I am proud to be able to fulfil this. We'll see how I feel on Sunday."
And while this may be Van Nistelrooy's second Old Trafford farewell, he has reason to be confident of ending his latest Red Devils stint on a high.
United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has challenged Manchester United to be ruthless, with the interim boss saying Old Trafford has less of a fear factor after their recent results.
Van Nistelrooy led the Red Devils to a 2-0 win against PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday and remains unbeaten in his time as Erik ten Hag’s temporary successor before Ruben Amorim’s arrival next week.
All three of his games in charge have come at the Theatre of Dreams, which culminates with another home fixture against Leicester City in the Premier League, a side he has already beaten in the EFL Cup at the end of last month.
United have picked up just seven points from their five home league games this season, with only seven teams winning less, something Van Nistelrooy says must improve.
"That's something that is important to change," he told TNT Sports. "Home games at Old Trafford were basically hardly won [by the visitors].
"As I said, the reason why I'm here is to get United back to that point. It's hard work, it needs to be done, but, of course, it is a chance to get a home win after a long time."
"I don't know. I think less because of the results that more teams got at Old Trafford, that means something. How teams are coming and playing here, so again that's something you have to build again.”
Leicester, meanwhile, come into the encounter at Old Trafford after snatching a point late on against 10-man Ipswich Town, with Jordan Ayew netting in the second half stoppage time.
The Foxes are without a win in three games in all competitions since back-to-back victories against Bournemouth and Southampton in the Premier League in October.
While head coach Steve Cooper was happy his side were able to add another point to their league total, he said he left Portman Road with mixed feelings after reflecting on the encounter.
“A point away from home in the Premier League is never anything to be too despondent about. It will feel like a win scoring late, but I think we'll feel better about the result than what Ipswich will,” Cooper said.
“It's miles a better result than it is for Ipswich, but we think of ourselves, we think internally we shouldn't be satisfied with just the point. There should be some disappointment and frustration there, but we also know that we worked really hard in the end to get something out of the game.
“We started really strong, finished really strong, but bits in between were a little bit too up and down for my liking, so it’s mixed feelings, but we keep ticking over, and we move on now.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has been involved in eight goals in seven starts against Leicester in all competitions (four goals, four assists), netting twice against the Foxes in last month’s EFL Cup meeting.
He has also created more chances (15) than any of his United team-mates in the Premier League this term, with his creative edge needed to unlock the Leicester defence.
Leicester City – Jordan Ayew
Only Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran (four) has scored more goals as a substitute in the Premier League this season than Ayew (two).
Both of the Ghanaian’s strikes have come in his last two away games, and both in second half stoppage time (winner against Southampton, equaliser against Ipswich).
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.
The Red Devils have also scored in each of their last 28 top-flight games against Leicester, since a 1-0 loss in January 1998. In their Premier League history, only against Arsenal have they ever had a longer scoring streak (30 between 1953 and 1968).
United have won 16 of their last 18 Premier League games against promoted sides (D2), since a 1-4 loss to Watford in November 2021, and will be hopeful of continuing to get their season back on track.
Their 12 points this season is the club’s lowest return after 10 top-flight games in a season since 1986-87 (eight), while their nine goals scored is their lowest at this stage since 1973-74 (also nine).
Leicester, meanwhile, have won just one of their last 14 Premier League away games against United (D3 L10), picking up a 2-1 victory in May 2021.
But the Foxes are one of two teams – along with Man City – to have scored in all 10 of their Premier League games so far this season. Only in 2018-19 (first 11) and their 2015-16 title winning campaign (17) have they had a longer streak from the start of a season in the competition.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Manchester United – 65.1%
Draw – 18.8%
Leicester City – 16.1%
Jordan Ayew's stoppage-time equaliser snatched a point for Leicester City, who held 10-man Ipswich Town to a 1-1 draw.
The Foxes substitute cancelled out Leif Davis' volley earlier in the second half to deny the hosts' the first win of the season at Portman Road.
Ipswich broke through 10 minutes after the restart when Davis marked his 100th appearance for the club with a superbly timed volley from Sam Morsy's crossfield pass.
However, they were forced to finish the final 13 minutes a man light after Kalvin Phillips' dismissal for a second bookable offence.
The hosts were given a scare when, within moments of his introduction, Ayew chipped Arijanet Muric, only to be thwarted on the line by Cameron Burgess.
However, the Ghanaian and Leicester were not to be denied. In the 94th minute, Ayew played a neat one-two with Jamie Vardy before slotting home to ensure a share of the spoils.
Data Debrief: Ipswich's wait goes on
Ipswich have now failed to win any of their first 10 Premier League games this season. Only in 2009-10 (14) and 2018-19 (11) have they begun a league campaign with a longer winless streak.
Having also let a two-goal lead slip at Brentford last time out, Kieran McKenna's side have now dropped a league-high 12 points from winning positions this term.
As for Leicester, they left it late once more, with Ayew's 98th-minute winner sealing a 3-2 victory over Southampton from 2-0 down in their last league game away from home.
The Foxes continue their record as one of only two sides - along with reigning champions Manchester City - to score in all 10 of their matches this season.
Ruud van Nistelrooy says he "couldn't ask for more" from Manchester United as they marked his first match in interim charge with a 5-2 victory over Leicester City.
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes both scored twice, while Alejandro Garnacho was also on target as the Red Devils booked their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, where they will play Tottenham.
Van Nistelrooy was overseeing United in their first match since Erik ten Hag's dismissal on Monday, with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim expected to be announced as the latter's replacement.
"Credit to the players, they were fantastic today. I couldn't ask for more," he said.
"Against West Ham and Fenerbahce, we created so much and couldn't finish. All of a sudden, we had some luck on our side, and that made it a great night.
"It is always the target to react and attack. The reaction of the players after the Leicester goals was excellent, and they deserve credit. I am glad the crowd will go home happy."
Van Nistelrooy acknowledged he had mixed emotions at taking over the reins from Ten Hag, who brought the former United striker back to Old Trafford as his assistant coach in July.
However, he underlined the importance of concentrating on the job in hand, and ensuring his players were ready for Wednesday's tie.
"It is clear that this is going to be short term, so for me, today was the most important day after what happened," he added. "Of course, receiving the players and getting together for the first day after Erik had to leave was a sad day to share.
"He was the one that asked me to work back here again, and in the first conversation we had, I felt such a passion and care for this football club. That is why I was so sad to see him go.
"Having said that, football and life continue, and we knew that 75,000 people would be waiting for us here today, with millions more watching at home behind their screens and radios. You have to switch then as players.
"We tried to switch that button for the players, try to get the mindset going, and go out tonight and give everything for the fans."
On his own future at United, he continued: "I am here to help, to serve and give my everything for the club. That will never change."
Leicester City were rolled over in a 5-2 defeat to a Manchester United side in transition during midweek in the EFL Cup, but Steve Cooper believes it’s all par for the course for his side.
It came off the back of a disappointing 3-1 derby defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend. While it was a heavily rotated squad that lined up in Manchester, such a resounding defeat cannot help confidence ahead of their fixture against fellow promoted side, Ipswich Town.
But Cooper can look back on previous form and feel some comfort in his side’s ability to come back, particularly against those teams familiar with the Championship.
The last time the East Midlands outfit travelled away from home in the Premier League, they found themselves 2-0 down to Southampton at half-time but delivered a miraculous second-half performance to win 3-2. For Cooper, such changing fortunes are to be expected.
“The Forest and Southampton game, they are probably great examples of what will come in future this season,” he said following the defeat to Forest.
“We will have games where we get really good results and the world feels like a brilliant place and we’ll get the opposite like we had at Forest.”
“That’s the nature of the league that we’re playing in and where we’re at. What we’ve got to do is make sure that we stay on task and stay on track, which we are doing. We never want to accept defeat too easily, but make sure that it doesn’t deter us from the journey that we’re on.”
“That journey will be full of ups and downs, there’s no doubt about that.”
Leicester currently sit fifteenth on nine points, ahead of Ipswich, who are without a win so far this season and currently languishing in the relegation zone on four points.
But Cooper will hope the “ups” return soon as failing to register a result against fellow potential relegation candidates could prove costly further down the line.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ipswich Town – Liam Delap
Delap has scored 56% of Ipswich’s Premier League goals this season (5/9) – only Chris Wood has netted a higher share of his team’s goals so far this term (64% for Nottingham Forest).
He is Ipswich’s biggest threat having taken more shots (13) and shots on target (eight) than any other player in the squad.
Leicester City – Jamie Vardy
The Foxes veteran is in a rich vein of form. He’s scored in his last two games, and aged 37 years and 296 days on the day of this game would be the oldest player to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances with a goal here.
He is Leicester’s top scorer this season with four goals in nine Premier League games. It is one more than he managed in 37 appearances in his last top-flight campaign of 2022-23.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Both times the newly-promoted sides faced each other in the Championship last season, the outcome was a 1-1 draw.
Ipswich have won all three of their previous Premier League home games against Leicester – 4-1 in January 1995, 2-0 in January 2001 and 2-0 in December 2001.
However, in the last nine meetings between the two sides, Leicester have lost just one (W5 D3).
A comeback could be on the cards if the Foxes are to win at the weekend. In their last Premier League away game, Leicester City came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against fellow promoted opposition, Southampton.
It ended a run of 11 top-flight away games without a win for the Foxes, last winning consecutive such matches in November 2022 (a run of three).
Ipswich have dropped 10 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, with only Brentford (11) dropping more. Indeed, the Tractor Boys let a two-goal lead slip to lose 4-3 in their last match.
But a win is overdue for the hosts, who remain winless in their nine league games so far this season – in their league history, only in 2009-10 (first 14) and 2018-19 (first 11) have they had a longer winless run from the start of a campaign.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Ipswich Town – 42.8%
Leicester City – 32.1%
Draw – 25.1%
Manchester United breezed into the EFL Cup quarter-finals with a 5-2 win over Leicester City, as Ruud van Nistelrooy's first game in interim charge ended in victory.
Erik ten Hag was sacked on Monday with assistant Van Nistelrooy stepping into a caretaker role, with United expected to soon appoint Sporting's Ruben Amorim as their permanent boss.
Van Nistelrooy's tenure got off to an encouraging start with Casemiro's long-range finish into the top-right corner after just 15 minutes, before Alejandro Garnacho scored from Diogo Dalot's cross 13 minutes later.
Bilal El Khannouss scrambled a strike past Altay Bayindir to reduce the arrears in the 33rd minute, though Bruno Fernandes restored the hosts' two-goal advantage with a deflected free-kick effort soon after.
Casemiro then hammered home a rebound from close range just three minutes later, before Conor Coady again reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time when capitalising on a loose ball to convert.
Fernandes doubled his own tally and extended United's lead just past the hour, rounding Danny Ward to cap the rout following a poor pass backwards by Caleb Okoli.
Data Debrief: Familiar failure for Foxes
Van Nistelrooy was always expected to have the Old Trafford crowd on side, owing to his playing days at the club, and Leicester struggled to get going at a place they have struggled in recent times.
The Foxes have now lost 12 of their last 15 away games at United in all competitions (won one, drawn two), while the Red Devils have managed seven victories in their last eight home games in this competition (lost one).
It proved to be a convincing win as well, with United accumulating 2.95 expected goals (xG) to Leicester's meagre 0.99.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has warned Manchester United they must turn their season around before time runs out as he prepares for his first game as interim head coach.
Van Nistelrooy, who returned to Old Trafford in July as an assistant coach, will be in the dugout for United's EFL Cup tie with Leicester City following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils parted ways with Ten Hag on Monday following their 2-1 defeat to West Ham, leaving them 14th in the Premier League after nine games of the season.
United are in discussions about making Sporting's Ruben Amorim their next permanent boss.
The Portuguese club confirmed on Tuesday that United had made an approach and are willing to pay Amorim's 10m euros (£8.3m) release clause.
Van Nistelrooy was brought to the club to work under Ten Hag but will assume the first-team coach role until a permanent successor is appointed amid ongoing talks with Amorim.
The former United striker, who scored 150 goals in 219 appearances as a player, said his side must waste no time in getting their campaign back on track.
Writing in United’s matchday programme, Van Nistelrooy said: "Good evening and welcome to Old Trafford.
"As I am sure everyone can imagine, I am writing these notes with a huge amount of mixed emotions.
"Erik ten Hag brought me back to Manchester United in the summer and, while I have only been part of the coaching staff here for a few months, I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity, and I am saddened to see him leave.
"Even on an interim basis, it is a great honour to manage the club I love for however long I am asked to do so.
"I can promise that I will continue to give my all, in whatever capacity, to try to turn around our fortunes.
“Despite our results, I am loving being back at Old Trafford and working with the team and staff every day. We’ve seen the squad’s potential at times this season, but clearly not often enough.
“Now is the time for everyone at the club to work together, give everything and turn this season around while we have time.
"From my experiences as both a player and a coach here, I can say for sure that when players, staff and supporters pull together, Manchester United can be unstoppable.”
Van Nistelrooy has previous managerial experience, overseeing 50 games as the PSV Eindhoven head coach, winning 34 of those matches (D8 L8) in all competitions.
During his time in the Eredivisie, he lifted the Dutch Cup in the 2022-23 season along with the Johan Cruyff Shield.
Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood is not aiming to rival the "formidable" Erling Haaland for the Premier League's Golden Boot after netting a brace against Leicester City.
Wood took his tally to seven for the season with two second-half goals in Forest's 3-1 win over rivals Leicester, after Ryan Yates saw his opener cancelled out by Jamie Vardy.
The 32-year-old's double saw him move level with Stan Collymore on 22 Premier League goals for Forest, with only Bryan Roy (24) scoring more for the club in the competition.
Only Manchester City's Haaland (10) has scored more times than Wood this term, though the New Zealander was not getting carried away with his fine start to the campaign.
"I just want to keep scoring as many as I can. He's [Haaland] a very formidable man, and he's probably going to score 30 goals this season," Wood said.
"He's a very formidable man to chase. He's {Nuno Espirito Santo] come in and put an emphasis on putting the ball in the box. He's worked on that in the training pitch."
It's been a remarkable turnaround for Wood, who has flourished under Nuno Espirito Santo since his arrival at the City Ground.
Since Nuno's first game in charge of Forest in December 2023, only Haaland (18) has scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Wood (17).
"It's consistency with what Nuno's been working on. We got better and better last season but we also conceded poor goals at times," Wood continued.
"I think consistency is the biggest thing. I wouldn't say it fuelled us, we conceded a lot of set-piece goals and we worked at that and we've got to keep going."
Nuno also sung the praises of his in-form forward, saying Wood deserves all the praise he is receiving at the moment.
"He's done an amazing job. He's very honest and he gives everything on the pitch for us. We are delighted and we want to continue. Chris deserves his plaudits," Nuno said.
For Leicester, meanwhile, it marked a tough encounter for Steve Cooper, who was facing his former side for the first time since leaving the club almost a year ago.
Coming into the game on the back of consecutive wins, the Foxes' defensive lapses were ruthlessly punished by Forest.
James Justin's poor clearance allowed Yates to open the scoring, before Harry Winks' poor pass and Wout Faes' mistimed header were gobbled up by Wood.
“It's self-inflicted, no doubt about that, and it's on us. We all have to take responsibility for how the game panned out," Cooper said.
"We made poor mistakes for the goals, no doubt about it, and we were punished for it but I just think conceding so early on in the second half was obviously not a good thing.
"We have to take responsibility for it. It's a setback after winning a few games coming into this.
"We have to accept it, completely on us and me and we’ve got punished for the poor giveaways on the goals."
Chris Wood continued his fine form for Nottingham Forest as his two goals helped them to a 3-1 East Midlands derby win over former boss Steve Cooper and Leicester City.
Ryan Yates profited from Leicester’s failure to clear their lines for the opening goal, curling an effort beyond Mads Hermansen for only his second Premier League strike.
The Foxes drew level through talisman Jamie Vardy soon afterwards, though, with the veteran forward rounding off a fine move with a neat finish at the near post.
But two goals in 13 second-half minutes from Wood sealed Forest's win, the striker finishing brilliantly on the turn before heading home to make it a brace against his former club.
The result moves Forest to within a point of the top four ahead of this weekend's action, while Leicester remain in 14th.
Data Debrief: Wood hands Leicester an early Halloween scare
Having scored 20 goals in 62 appearances in all competitions for Leicester, Wood has found a new home in the East Midlands with Forest.
The New Zealander's brace moved him level with Stan Collymore on 22 Premier League goals for Forest. Only Bryan Roy (24) has scored more for the club in the competition.
This season, only Erling Haaland (10) has scored more goals than Wood (seven), while since Nuno Espirito Santo's first game in charge of Forest, only Haaland (18) has netted more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Wood (17).
Forest have now won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since December 2023. The Tricky Trees have won four of their nine league games this season (D4 L1), as many as their final 18 of last term (W4 D4 L10).
Steve Cooper insisted that he will treat Leicester’s upcoming Premier League fixture like “any other game” as he prepares to face former club Nottingham Forest for the first time.
Cooper spent two years at the City Ground, guiding the Tricky Trees to the top-flight in his first season in charge, despite taking over the club when they were bottom of the Championship.
The Welshman guided Forest to safety in his first season in the Premier League but was dismissed in December 2023 after a run of one win in 13 matches.
Coming into Friday’s game on the back of consecutive wins, Cooper was not drawn into the emotions of facing his former employers and is confident the Foxes can continue their forward momentum.
"I'm looking forward to it like any other game. It's a very good culture here and even though we didn't get the results in the early season, it's always been a motivated and hard-working training ground,” Cooper said.
"We look forward to every single game day. Forest is the next game, it doesn't matter who we are playing because we are so focused on ourselves. We are enjoying the journey that we are on.
"It was important we brought in extra players in the summer and in they had to bring some experience and know-how."
Forest, meanwhile, travel to their East Midlands rivals after downing Crystal Palace on Monday, moving them to eighth in the Premier League table after eight games.
The Tricky Trees have improved under Nuno Espirito Santo this season, though the Forest boss was quick to praise the job Cooper had done in his short tenure with the Foxes.
"Tough team, tough match. They have come from two good performances and two good results, it’s not easy to achieve back-to-back wins in the Premier League, they have done it. That should tell that they are in a good moment playing good,” Nuno said.
"It is going to be hard and tough, and you go there to try and fight and be better than them. It’s always the same philosophy.
Nuno will, however, not be on the touchline at the King Power Stadium as he serves the second game of his three-match ban, but said his absence from the sidelines will not affect preparations.
"We have taken care of that and making sure things go normal like they did in this game. We have constant communication with the coaching staff, we know that we are trying to prepare that in Leicester and hopefully, we can do the same,” he concluded.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Leicester – Facundo Buonanotte
Buonanotte has been involved in five goals in his last six Premier League appearances for Leicester (three goals, two assists).
The 19-year-old could become just the 10th teenager to score or assist in four appearances in a row and be the first since Evan Ferguson for Brighton in January 2023.
Nottingham Forest – Elliot Anderson
Anderson is one of only three players to create five or more chances and complete five or more dribbles in a Premier League match this season after his impressive display against Crystal Palace (five chances created and six completed dribbles).
This campaign, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah against Bournemouth and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka against Leicester have achieved that feat.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Leicester have won their last two Premier League home games against Forest (December 1998 and October 2022), having won neither of their first two in the competition (D1 L1).
After winning none of their first six Premier League games this season (D3 L3), Leicester have since won both of their last two. The Foxes last won three successive matches in the competition in January 2021 under Brendan Rodgers.
And expect an entertaining affair. There have been at least four goals scored in all four of the Foxes Premier League home games against Forest.
But Forest arrive at the King Power Stadium with confidence. They are unbeaten in their last six away games in the Premier League (W4 D2); their longest run without an away defeat in the top-flight since February-October 1995 (12 games).
The Tricky Trees also won 2-0 against Leicester in their last league meeting (January 2023), last winning consecutive league games against the Foxes in March 2005 and December 2009.
Only Liverpool (three) have conceded fewer goals than Nottingham Forest (six) in the Premier League so far this season, while Nuno’s side also rank third for expected goals against (8.81). They conceded 20 shots against Crystal Palace last time out, yet still held them to under one expected goal (0.97).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Leicester – 37.3%
Draw – 26.4%
Nottingham Forest – 36.3%
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
