Manchester United legend Roy Keane saluted Marcus Rashford for proving he has the character to be the team's main man, but Gary Neville now wants him to replicate his form season after season.

Rashford is enjoying a phenomenal campaign, with his 25 goals across all competitions prior to Sunday's trip to Liverpool already his best return for a single season.

There appeared to be doubts about Rashford's long-term future at United after a hugely underwhelming 2021-22 season, but he has had a new lease of life since Erik ten Hag's arrival.

He showed real promise before the World Cup, but it is since his return from Qatar that Rashford's form has reached new heights, scoring 10 goals in his previous 10 league games ahead of Sunday.

That haul includes a run of five successive goalscoring appearances, with the England international giving United a clinical touch in attack – his 25 goals have come from just 16.5 xG (expected goals).

Keane acknowledged he had reservations about Rashford in that regard, but the 25-year-old is emphatically proving him wrong.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Keane said: "He's in great form and what's been surprising in the last few months is, I wasn't sure if Marcus had that personality to want to be the main man, but he has, particularly with [Cristiano] Ronaldo leaving and [Anthony] Martial injured, he has definitely taken that responsibility.

"His goals, the type of goals he's getting: he's scored a couple of headers recently. I never knew he had that in his locker.

"We know obviously about his pace, his skill when beating people, but I think he's enjoying the responsibility. He's in the form of his life, he seems fit, he seems mentally clear, he's focusing more on his football now.

"There were question marks over the past few years about whether he was distracted, a lot of people hanging on to him. Now it looks like football is his priority and he's getting the rewards."

However, Neville – another former United captain – feels Rashford now has to ensure this season is not just a flash in the pan.

Twice before he has broken the 20-goal mark in a single season but been unable to maintain that level, whereas one of his opponents on Sunday – Liverpool's Salah – has done so in all six of his campaigns with the Reds.

Such ability has inspired Liverpool to success in the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and the Champions League.

"I think Marcus can look at Salah," Neville added. "What Marcus has done this season is fantastic, but Salah's been doing that for six or seven seasons, winning Premier League titles, Champions League trophies.

"He's reliable and consistent, and that's where Marcus now is building that sort of feeling and momentum in his game, but he's got to do it for the next three, four, five seasons and take Manchester United to those titles that Salah has at Liverpool."

Jurgen Klopp has described Manchester United as a "results machine" and backed Liverpool's fierce rivals to compete all the way for the Premier League title.

United travel to Anfield on Sunday unbeaten in 11 matches and having lost only one of their 20 games since the World Cup break, winning 16 of those.

That run of form has propelled the Red Devils within 11 points of leaders Arsenal with a game in hand, while they ended a six-year trophy drought with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final last Sunday.

Indeed, no Premier League team has won more points than United (23) since the campaign resumed in December, which Klopp believes stands them in good stead to push for the title.

"They have turned into a results machine," Klopp said at Friday's pre-match news conference. "They are squeezing results out with some really good performances.

"They're playing some top football, and if it is not going so well for them they still get results. That's why they are there [in the table]. 

"Everyone knows it: they are fully in a fight to win the league. That's not really important for Sunday because we are there as well when we try to be at our best."

Marcus Rashford's goalscoring form has played a massive part in United's impressive first campaign under Erik ten Hag, particularly since the World Cup.

The England international has scored 10 goals in his past 10 league games, netting in each of his past five appearances, and has 25 goals for the season in all competitions.

Only Ruud van Nistelrooy (three separate runs), Eric Cantona (in April 1996) and Cristiano Ronaldo (in April 2008) have scored in six successive league games for United.

While reluctant to praise any players of Liverpool's biggest foes, Klopp says it is hard not to take some joy from Rashford's upturn in fortunes.

"It's pretty much impossible to be happy about something positive at Manchester United when you are the Liverpool manager, but I am really happy for Rashford," Klopp said.

"He had a very difficult last year where he was not performing on the level that he is able to perform. 

"I knew this would change again but sometimes in life we don't have enough time to change it. Now he is playing incredible. His speed, his technique – it is a mix of everything. 

"How calm he is in front of goal. He scores worldies, he scores the simple ones, he can put his head in. All these kinds of things.

"We have to defend against that collectively. He is not their only world-class player."

With one trophy in the bag, United are still competing for silverware on three further fronts, whereas Liverpool are now effectively just battling for fourth place in the league.

The Reds trail Real Madrid 5-2 ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, but Klopp is remaining upbeat heading into some key fixtures.

"I said before last game, this is a week to give the season a proper push. Now we have to make the next steps," he said.

"Nothing is done yet which is good for us. We all know everything is possible in football. We need to use our crowd in home games."

Liverpool are unbeaten in six home league games against United (W3 D3) since a 1-0 loss in January 2016 – their longest run without defeat since a run of nine in the 1970s.

United will be confident of ending that run on Merseyside this weekend, but Klopp insists form will play no part in what remains one of the biggest fixtures in the game.

"They have had a better season so far but thank God it means absolutely nothing on Sunday," Klopp said. 

"We have to show it's still incredibly difficult to play against us. We have to make sure they realise that. I couldn't be less interested in what United are doing, I just respect it.

"It's what I enjoy most. Around these games we put ourselves out of this sometimes not so nice reality and dig into the game. 

"Football is the most important thing for 98 minutes or whatever. I love that. The whole world will watch it. I would watch it if I was not here.

"It's 'the game'. They are playing a much better season than us but that means nothing. It doesn't mean you win the game, it just means you have more points."

Trent Alexander-Arnold knows Marcus Rashford will be "difficult to stop" at Anfield on Sunday but the Liverpool full-back is relishing the challenge of facing in-form Manchester United.

Rashford has been outstanding for the resurgent Red Devils this season, scoring 25 goals in a new era under Erik ten Hag.

United travel to Merseyside on a high from winning the EFL Cup last weekend and coming from behind to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over West Ham – stretching their unbeaten run to 11 matches.

Rashford has 10 goals in his past 10 Premier League games and could join Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only Red Devils players to score in six consecutive top-flight encounters this weekend.

Alexander-Arnold is not surprised to see his England team-mate thriving as he prepares for a blockbuster showdown, with the sixth-placed Reds in need of a win as they strive to snatch a Champions League spot.

He told Sky Sports: "The only thing that's really changed is he's [Rashford] probably scored a lot more recently, but he's the same player, he's always a threat and I'm sure he will be a threat on Sunday.

"It will be a tough game but it's one I'm looking forward to and it will be a good test.

"It's difficult [to stop Rashford]. He's a player who's got a lot of weapons in his arsenal, but I think it's more of a team effort, it won't be just a one-on-one thing.

"They'll have more than just Marcus going forward, it's a team thing and as long as the team wins on Sunday, that's all I'm bothered about."

Goals from Rashford and Jadon Sancho gave third-placed United a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford in August, but they have not won at Anfield since Wayne Rooney secured a 1-0 victory back in January 2016.

Marcus Rashford's remarkable resurgence on the pitch is completely unrelated to the Manchester United departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, according to club great Andrew Cole.

Rashford scored United's second in Sunday's 2-0 EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United, as the Red Devils ended a trophy drought that stretched back almost six years.

That was his 25th goal of the season across all competitions, already three more than his previous best return for a full campaign, and United still have at least 17 matches to play in 2022-23.

Rashford has looked more confident and threatening all season, but his form has hit new heights since the World Cup – in that time, his 17 goals (all competitions) is five more than any other player from the top five leagues, and he is one of only two (Victor Osimhen, 11) to reach double figures for non-penalty (np) goals (16).

Those come from a np-xG (expected goals) of just 8.0, meaning he is scoring twice as many goals as the average player would expect given the quality of his chances.

Rashford's positive 8.0 np-xG differential since the World Cup considerably exceeds that of every other player from the top five leagues, with James Ward Prowse second on 4.3 (six np goals, 1.7 np-xG).

This is a far cry from Rashford's form last season when his goals frequency of 0.27 per 90 minutes was the worst of his United career – the 0.78 goals every 90 minutes this term is comfortably his best such return.

Given the biggest upturn in Rashford's form has come since the World Cup, some have speculated whether Ronaldo's exit – which was confirmed during Qatar 2022 – has had something to do with it.

But Cole, a treble winner with United in 1999, refuses to accept that, convinced there is a simpler explanation.

He told Stats Perform: "I'm an individual. I'm not going to get involved in the Ronaldo thing because he left. Ronaldo wasn't there 18 months ago when Marcus Rashford was struggling.

"So, because Ronaldo's left now, all of a sudden [there's a perception] it's because he's left. It doesn't make sense for me. When Ronaldo wasn't at the club, Marcus found himself in a bit of form that he couldn't get himself out of, so I'm not having that.

"The [Erik] Ten Hag effect, I think. No doubt, the manager will be believing in him, telling him how good he is. But ultimately, as individuals, he could have taken his eye off the ball a little bit with what he was doing off the field.

"It could have been a little bit of that as well, but to see him in this really fit form now, the way he's playing, I think it's testament to him. For me, personally, it doesn't really matter what anyone else does with you.

"Monday to Friday, once you cross the white line, it's you as an individual, and also Monday to Friday, someone's telling you how great you are.

"If you don't believe how great you are, once you cross the white line, it makes no difference what anyone else tells you because you've got to tell yourself that.

"I'm looking at him now, he seems to be telling himself, 'I'm at that level that I want to be at'. That's why he's playing so well."

But with spells of such form from one individual come questions of dependency, or over reliance.

Since the World Cup, no team across the top five leagues has scored more than United (43), while their average of 2.3 every game sees them rank sixth, which again is commendable given the top five have all played at least six games less than Ten Hag's side.

However, no other United player has scored more than seven goals (all competitions) this season. While Ten Hag has received due praise for inspiring a huge improvement around the club, it is difficult to imagine them being on their current trajectory without Rashford's form.

And Rashford's numbers since the World Cup represent something of an anomaly – relying on him to score double his xG for the rest of the season would be unfair and unlikely.

This concern is not lost on Cole, who during the 1998-99 treble-winning season was one of five United players to score at least 10 goals.

"Do we need that depth? Of course we do, if we look at all the top teams in Europe, they have that depth," he continued.

"And yeah, I would say if [Rashford] did pick up an injury, which naturally I don't want, you're going to turn around say, 'where are the goals going to come from?'

"Because they're not really being spread around the team. Marcus has got a majority of them. Yeah, you might get sporadic [contributions]: Antony might get one in four games or whatever; Casemiro scored [on Sunday]; [Jadon] Sancho is getting himself back and is getting a goal every now and then.

"But if you're going to be challenging for major honours, you've got to have goals coming from all areas, and at this moment time Manchester United are relying on Marcus because he's in that form.

"No doubt they'll look to address that problem [a lack of goals elsewhere] in the summer."

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has officially been credited with his side's second goal in Sunday's 2-0 EFL Cup final win against Newcastle United.

The goal, which arrived six minutes after Casemiro had opened the scoring at Wembley, was announced at the time as a Sven Botman own goal.

Rashford's shot took a deflection off Newcastle defender Botman and looped over goalkeeper Loris Karius.

However, both United and the competition organisers confirmed on Monday that Rashford was indeed the goalscorer.

That means the in-form England international finishes as the 2022-23 EFL Cup's top scorer with six goals, having found the net in every round United played in.

He now has 25 goals in 38 games for United this season – only Kylian Mbappe (29) and Erling Haaland (33) have scored more among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Rashford's latest strike helped propel United to their first trophy under Erik ten Hag and their first of any sort since 2017 when they won the Europa League under Jose Mourinho.

Manchester United's EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United is "just the beginning" for the Erik ten Hag era, says Red Devils full-back Luke Shaw.

Two goals in six first-half minutes helped United end a six-year wait for a trophy in Sunday's final, as Shaw's free-kick was nodded in by Casemiro before Marcus Rashford forced an own goal from Sven Botman. 

Ten Hag is now the first United boss to deliver major silverware since Jose Mourinho, and the Dutchman's rejuvenated side remain in contention to win a further three competitions this season.

With crucial fixtures in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup on the horizon, Shaw called on United's current crop to leave their mark on the club's illustrious history.

"It feels amazing. We said before that we want to create our own history here with the new team and the new manager, and I think [this] was the start of it," he told Sky Sports.

"I think the connection now is easy to see, we feel the love from the fans and we hope they feel the same from us. 

"We wanted to start with a trophy and this is just the beginning for us."

Fellow England international Rashford echoed Shaw's thoughts, calling for United to use Sunday's win as inspiration in their hunt for further silverware.

"It's massive for us to be involved in these games, it's something that we've missed as a club," Rashford said. "To come all this way and go on and win it, it's a massive feeling.

"Hopefully it pushes us to keep going now. The hunger is to have more moments like this. I've been in finals where we've won and where we've lost, and when you win it's massive for the club.

"It's part of our history at the club and we want to keep adding to that. I'm buzzing with the result.

"We want to be involved in a lot of games and staying in competitions. If we want to win things we have to keep pushing and keep going for everything."

United benefitted from another outstanding midfield performance from Casemiro at Wembley, while he became just the third Brazilian to net in an EFL Cup final with his header – after both Philippe Coutinho and Fernandinho did so in 2016.

Asked about Casemiro's impact, Rashford added: "He makes a huge difference with his leadership and experience in big games, it's huge for us. 

"When he's on the pitch you feel that sense of security behind you. I'm buzzing for him, for his first trophy for the club."

Casemiro claimed victory in the battle of the Brazilian midfielders as Manchester United won their sixth EFL Cup with a 2-0 success against Newcastle United on Sunday.

On the way to Wembley, it felt like Newcastle fans significantly outnumbered United's, seemingly four out of every five people donning black and white striped shirts.

That feeling continued in the stadium, with almost every Newcastle fan in their seat waiting for kick-off with about 45 minutes to go, their black and white flags flying in anticipation of a momentous occasion, while big gaps remained in the United end just 10 minutes prior to the start, though it was full by kick-off.

On a cold day in London, fans of both teams hoped to be warmed by some samba magic, with United and Newcastle having two Brazilians each in the middle of the park.

United manager Erik ten Hag opted for Fred and Casemiro, while Magpies boss Eddie Howe went with Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, with the latter back from suspension in time for the final.

Newcastle had not won any of the six games that Guimaraes had missed this season heading into Sunday's clash, and there was a renewed sense of optimism from the Geordie fans with their key man back.

However, a sloppy foul conceded by Guimaraes just after the half-hour mark gave United a chance to put a free-kick from the left, which Luke Shaw whipped in expertly for Casemiro to nod in.

Newcastle had actually started the game better, with only some poor execution in the final third preventing them from taking the lead, but their ruthless opponents struck first.

Casemiro became just the third Brazilian to score in an EFL Cup final after both Philippe Coutinho and Fernandinho did so in 2016 when Liverpool faced Manchester City.

It was also Casemiro's fourth goal in his last 12 games, one more than he had scored across his previous 89 matches.

The Magpies were caught napping again as Wout Weghorst was allowed to dribble to the edge of the penalty area before releasing Marcus Rashford, whose shot deflected off Sven Botman and over the helpless Loris Karius to make it 2-0.

Newcastle's third-choice goalkeeper was making his first competitive appearance in 728 days, having not played for anyone since his final outing of his loan to Bundesliga side Union Berlin on February 28, 2021.

Selected following Nick Pope's red card against Karius' former team Liverpool, the German could not have done much about either goal, and was able to show off some of his ability before the break when he denied Weghorst from making it 3-0 by tipping the Dutch striker's shot from 20 yards over the crossbar.

Newcastle tried to fight back in the second half, with Howe bringing Alexander Isak on for Sean Longstaff, leaving Joelinton and Guimaraes as the sole two in midfield.

Fred very much played a supporting role to the dominant Casemiro, and was replaced by Marcel Sabitzer with just over 20 minutes remaining.

With 12 minutes to go, Guimaraes made way, noticeably limping after a couple of knocks during the game. The former Lyon man certainly did not disgrace himself, completing 45 of his 49 passes (91.8 per cent) and winning back possession 10 times.

Joelinton tried to revert to his former ways as a striker, having more than twice as many shots as any other Newcastle player (five), but it was ultimately in vain.

It was the experience of Casemiro that told on the big occasion, with the 31-year-old having won so many finals with Real Madrid – including five Champions League titles.

In truth, it was far from a vintage United performance, with Newcastle having 61 per cent possession and 14 shots inside the opposition box to their opponents' five, while they also had 37 touches in the opposing box compared to the Red Devils' 17 at the other end.

Ten Hag's men did enough to win the game, though, and that is all that counts in a final.

It was so near yet so far for Newcastle, who were competing in their first major final since they lost to United by the same score at the old Wembley in the 1999 FA Cup final.

They remain without a trophy of any calibre since the 1969 Fairs Cup, but the stark improvement shown under Howe this season suggests they should not have to wait many more years.

As for United, they brought an end to six years in the trophy wilderness, and had man of the match Casemiro largely to thank.

Had they managed to sign Frenkie de Jong or Adrien Rabiot prior to opting for the Brazilian last year, who knows what could have happened?

They won't spend a moment wondering about that now, with the Red Devils basking in the glow of a cup win once again.

Marcus Rashford was passed fit to start for Manchester United in the EFL Cup final against Newcastle United.

Rashford had been a doubt for Sunday's game at Wembley after coming off in the 88th minute of Thursday's Europa League playoff-round victory against Barcelona with what appeared to be a slight injury concern.

However, the in-form forward, who has scored 24 goals in 37 games this season, was named in a forward line alongside Wout Weghorst and Antony, who came off the bench to score the winner against Barca at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian replaced Jadon Sancho in attack, with the only other change seeing Diogo Dalot come in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Callum Wilson returned to the starting line-up for Newcastle in place of Alexander Isak, with Loris Karius coming in for the suspended Nick Pope to make his competitive debut for the club.

Bruno Guimaraes was back from suspension, replacing Elliot Anderson in the only other change from last weekend's 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool, with Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron named either side of Wilson in attack for Eddie Howe's men.

When Alex Ferguson addressed Manchester United's fans at Old Trafford in 2013 asking them to support his chosen successor, David Moyes, few would have anticipated what the next decade would be like for the club.

In the final nine years of his near 27 in charge of United, Ferguson won five Premier League titles, three EFL Cups and the Champions League.

The nine seasons following his retirement brought the Red Devils just one FA Cup, one EFL Cup and the Europa League.

That Europa League success in 2017 was the last time United won a trophy of any kind, with a rare gap of six years without silverware for the club with the most league title wins in England.

However, Sunday gives them an opportunity to bring that drought to an end when they face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final, and it could be the latest step on the impressive return to form overseen by Erik ten Hag since his arrival ahead of this season.

The Dutch coach was the eventual replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with Ralf Rangnick's interim spell in between, but it's easy to forget how badly things started for Ten Hag.

United's first two games of the season saw them lose 2-1 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion before being thrashed 4-0 at Brentford.

Since then, Ten Hag's side have won 28 of their 37 games in all competitions, scoring 74 goals and conceding just 32, and overall they have a win percentage of 71.8.

Between Ferguson leaving and Ten Hag arriving, United have had Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer as permanent managers, none of whom had a win percentage as high after their first 39 games, with only Mourinho's above 60 per cent (61.5).

In fact, Ten Hag has already won more games than Moyes did in his entire 51 game spell (27).

Interestingly, Ten Hag's United have only scored a few more goals than Mourinho's did in his first 39 games (75-71), and have actually conceded more (38-30).

In terms of goal output, this United team has not outperformed previous ones across their first 39 games by all that much, with Moyes' side scoring 66 and conceding 39, Van Gaal's scoring 68 and conceding 38 and Solskjaer's scoring 58 and letting 43 in.

Ten Hag's side have clearly been more efficient in finding the goals to win games though, forcing those fine margins in their favour that are so often the difference between what is perceived to be success and failure at top clubs.

Statistically, the only noticeably significant difference in Ten Hag's United compared to his predecessors during their overall tenures at the club has come in the intensity of the team's pressing game.

Under the former Ajax boss, United have been winning possession in the final third at an average of 5.5 times per game, compared to Solskjaer's era when it was 4.2, Van Gaal's at 4.1, Mourinho's at 3.9 and Moyes at 2.7.

The trend was developing that way under Rangnick's brief interim spell at 4.7 times per game, but Ten Hag has taken it up another level again this season, making them look more like the aggressive high-octane United people remember under Ferguson.

The addition of Casemiro to the midfield has undoubtedly helped, with the Brazilian one of the best in the world at winning possession and putting pressure on opposition players.

He has produced all-round performances for United though since arriving from Real Madrid, with only Bruno Fernandes (201), Marcus Rashford (153) and Christian Eriksen (116) recording more than his 102 attacking sequence involvements, with all three having played more minutes than him.

In fact, the additions of Casemiro and Eriksen seem to have brought Fernandes back to the form he showed when he first joined from Sporting CP in January 2020.

It is Rashford, though, who has been the undoubted star of the season so far.

The England international scored just five goals in 32 games in 2021-22, but has hit 24 in 37 this season, already his most in a single campaign for United and including 17 goals at Old Trafford, the most at home by a player in a single season for the Red Devils since Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 (19).

United find themselves in a title race after recent stumbles by Arsenal and Manchester City, while also into the FA Cup fifth round and getting past Barcelona in the Europa League play-off round.

The fans are onside again with prospect of new ownership possibly also round the corner, and there generally seems to be a genuine feel-good factor that has been missing outside of some false dawns in recent years.

When Ferguson spoke to the fans in 2013, it would have been hard to imagine a possible EFL Cup win being seen as such a potentially significant moment for such a proud club, but United fans know as well as anyone that one trophy can often lead to more.

Ten Hag said as much at his press conference on Friday, stating: "I see [the season] so far not as a success. It's more the road to hopefully success. It's only success when you win trophies, but on Sunday we have an opportunity to get success."

It did not prove to be a sign of things to come for Van Gaal, who was sacked after winning the FA Cup, or for Mourinho, who could not follow up his EFL Cup and Europa League double.

It feels like there's more substance to this United revival though, and there are few better ways to cement that than by ending their trophy drought at Wembley on Sunday.

Erik ten Hag was unsure on Friday if Marcus Rashford would be fit to feature in the EFL Cup final for Manchester United.

Rashford, the form man both for United and among players across Europe, was substituted with two minutes remaining of Thursday's 2-1 Europa League win over Barcelona.

The England forward had stayed down for a period after tangling with Ronald Araujo and did not move easily when he returned to his feet.

United play Newcastle United at Wembley on Sunday, but Ten Hag will have to wait to see if he will be able to call on Rashford, who has scored 16 goals since the World Cup break.

"I don't know. The players are now coming in," Ten Hag said. "We have to check the medicals – of course yesterday we did.

"So straight after the game, you can't say. We have to wait for 100 per cent diagnosis."

Ten Hag, who definitively ruled Anthony Martial out of the final, is relishing the opportunity to win his first trophy as United manager.

"It's a great opportunity to get silverware in," he said. "It's about glory and honour in football.

"We deserved to play the final, and now we have a great opportunity to win the cup. We have to put everything in to take that cup to Manchester."

Indeed, despite leading United to third in the Premier League, the last 16 in the Europa League and FA Cup, and the EFL Cup final, Ten Hag does not yet see this as a successful season.

"I see it so far not as a success. It's more the road to hopefully success," he said.

"It's only success when you win trophies, but on Sunday we have an opportunity to get success."

Erik ten Hag wants to concentrate on building a better version of Manchester United rather than growing talk of a Premier League title challenge.

United are five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, albeit having played a game more, after cruising to a 3-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford scored twice for United to take his tally for the season to a career-best 24 goals, giving the Red Devils control in a game that saw David de Gea twice prevent Leicester from taking the lead with fine first-half saves.

Jadon Sancho came off the bench in the second half to seal the points, sending United into a huge week on a high.

Ten Hag's men face Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League play-off on Thursday, having drawn the first leg 2-2, and then take on Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final at Wembley three days later.

United are still in the hunt on four fronts, but Ten Hag is not paying any mind to discussion about a Premier League push.

"We don't think about that, we think about tomorrow, we have to be a better version of ourselves and that is what we have to work for," Ten Hag told the BBC.

"We are in February, don't look far ahead."

While Rashford played a starring role, Bruno Fernandes was an excellent supporting actor, registering seven key passes and two assists in a game that saw 45 shots, the most in the Premier League since United's clash with Burnley in October 2016 (also 45).

"Leicester is a great team, they played really well and made it really tough for us," added Ten Hag. "It was also by us, we didn't follow the rules and the principles of the game from our way of play and then you get punished.

"We were lucky, and it is only because of David de Gea that we don't concede a goal. Great saves, we were not disciplined, and it is not right.

"We came in at half-time and said it. We were 1-0 up, we knew also how to beat them because there was a lot of space in the midfield and behind their defending line. It was a good [opening] goal, once again a great pass from Bruno, great goal from Rashy and then we are 1-0 up. The second half was all us and Bruno Fernandes played a magnificent game.

"The team is putting Rashford in the right positions, especially Bruno, he creates how many passes, he gives behind, he crosses in. Not only Bruno but I think he is doing a great job.

"We need all players in form, but we have to follow the principles of our way of play and if we do that, we can play very well and we have seen that in the second half."

Marcus Rashford has no intentions of "slowing down" after continuing his impressive scoring form in Manchester United's 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday.

Rashford was twice on target as United cruised to a straightforward win over Brendan Rodgers' side, moving five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, having played a game more.

The England international has scored 24 times this season across all competitions, his best return in a single campaign, with 16 of those coming in 17 games after the World Cup break.

He has netted 17 goals at Old Trafford in all competitions this term, the most by a player in a single season for United since Wayne Rooney in the 2011-12 campaign.

With a crucial week ahead, in which United face Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League play-off and meet Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final, Rashford wants to keep improving.

The 25-year-old told Sky Sports: "Overall a good day. They created good opportunities and David [de Gea] made a great save at the end of the first half, without that we can't go on to win the game.

"It's still early in the season, we're fighting for a lot of different things.

"We have another big game in the week to hopefully go through to the next round of the Europa League and then a massive game for us [against Newcastle].

"I don't feel like slowing down and always want to improve."

Erik ten Hag's side are seeking a first major trophy since completing an EFL Cup and Europa League double under Jose Mourinho in 2017.

While Arsenal and Manchester City appear embroiled in a two-horse title race, United are quietly creeping up on the pair.

Rashford says all Ten Hag's men can do is concentrate on themselves in pursuit of a first league title since 2013 under Alex Ferguson.

"We're close but both teams in front of us are good teams and playing good football," he added.

"We have to just focus on ourselves, do as well as we can and keep picking up points."

Marcus Rashford continued his remarkable goalscoring form as Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 Premier League win over Leicester City.

Rashford was on target with a brace at Old Trafford on Sunday to help United overcome a poor start and make it eight wins from their last 11 league games.

Jadon Sancho made sure of the points with a well-worked third for United, who are now only five points behind leaders Arsenal, albeit having played a game more.

The comfortable nature of the victory allowed United to rest Rashford for much of the second half ahead of Thursday's Europa League second leg at home to Barcelona and next Sunday's EFL Cup final against Newcastle United, in which they will look to win a first trophy since 2017.

Leicester dominated the early stages and would have taken the lead in the eighth minute if not for fine goalkeeping from David de Gea, who denied Harvey Barnes after he had played a one-two with Kelechi Iheanacho following sloppy play in possession from Fred.

The Foxes wasted several superb chances to open the scoring and De Gea was once again a thorn in their side when he produced heroics to claw away Iheanacho's goal-bound header from a Timothy Castagne cross.

Their profligacy was punished moments later when a lazy pass from Wout Faes was pounced on in style by United, Bruno Fernandes' throughball with the outside of the boot finding Rashford to lash into the bottom-left corner.

Faes was guilty of more questionable defending when United went close to doubling their lead, Diogo Dalot afforded too much space in the penalty area but unable to make telling contact with an excellent Fernandes cross.

United did make it 2-0 in the 56th minute when Rashford slid home after being played through by Fred, with the VAR deeming Faes had played him onside after the assistant had initially raised his flag.

Sancho then ensured there would be no Leicester comeback, slotting in from closing range after a neat exchange with the impressive Fernandes.

Erik ten Hag and his Manchester United players have no time to worry about the talk around a potential takeover at Old Trafford, the manager says.

A 'soft' deadline for bids for United passed this week, before which Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS and a Qatari group fronted by banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Al Thani made offers.

An end to the Glazer family's largely unpopular ownership of the club appears to be in sight, but United first have plenty to focus on the pitch.

Ahead of Sunday's match against Leicester City, Ten Hag's side are third in the Premier League going into a huge week that includes a Europa League second leg against Barcelona and the EFL Cup final against Newcastle United.

For that reason, takeover talk is of little concern.

"There's movement around the club, but it's not up to me," Ten Hag told Sky Sports.

"The owners of the club are taking this stuff – I have to manage the team, make sure the team is performing and we get the right results in.

"Every third day we have a game, so I don't have time to get involved in stuff like this."

He added: "It's not distracting us. We're focusing on football. We're focusing on our games, preparing and training. That is our job to do. It doesn't distract us. So far, so good."

While United have a relentless schedule, Wembley opponents Newcastle have a clear week ahead of a long-awaited final appearance.

But Ten Hag said: "It's a big advantage for us, I would say. We are used to playing big games. That will be a huge advantage for us."

Sure to be key to United's hopes against both Barca and Newcastle is Marcus Rashford, who has scored a remarkable 14 goals since returning from the World Cup in December.

The England forward is out of contract at United at the end of next season, and his future will have to be a top priority for any new owner.

"Of course it's a priority," Ten Hag said. "We will work on that. Sit, wait, but in the background, we're working hard."

Marcus Rashford is in talks over an extension on his Manchester United contract, which currently expires in mid-2024.

Rashford has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season, including a run of 14 strikes in 16 games.

Last off-season, United triggered a one-year option to prevent him becoming a free agent in June but interest in Rashford is ramping up amid his hot form.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD PLACE £120M PRICE ON RASHFORD

Manchester United have slapped a bumper £120 million price tag on in-form forward Marcus Rashford to ward off interest, claims The Daily Star.

Rashford, who is in the form of his life, has been the subject of reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Barcelona are also monitoring Rashford according to the report, with United are desperate to retain his services amid talk of a change of ownership at Old Trafford.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea and Bayern Munich are among the clubs lining up to sign 19-year-old Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini who is valued at €40m according to Football Italia.

– Manchester City are set to reward Nathan Ake with a new contract offer, which represents a 50 per cent pay rise, according to the Daily Star. The Dutchman's weekly wages will rise from £80,000 to £120,000.

– Juventus will rival Liverpool in trying to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in the off-season, claims CalciomercatoWeb.

– Fichajes reports Tottenham are looking to sign Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger after this season.

– Newcastle United want to bolster their ranks by luring Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to Fichajes. Rabiot's contract expires next season.

– Football Insider reports Liverpool are tracking 19-year-old Independiente defender Kevin Mantilla who impressed during the recent Under-20 South American Under-20 Championship with Colombia. The Reds have held preliminary talks with Mantilla.