Ruben Amorim was delighted for Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho after the Manchester United duo ended goal droughts in Sunday’s morale-boosting victory at struggling Leicester.
The Red Devils moved up to 13th with just their 10th Premier League win of a challenging season as they made light work of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s seemingly Sky Bet Championship-bound Foxes.
Hojlund fired United into a deserved first-half lead as he ended a 21-game scoreless streak, with Garnacho then ending a 24-match run without a goal before standout skipper Bruno Fernandes wrapped up a convincing 3-0 win at the King Power Stadium.
“It’s really important for him,” head coach Amorim said of Hojlund’s first goal since December 12.
“He’s doing the right things, he’s helping the team, he’s fighting for every ball and today he scored a very good goal, very important goal, especially at that moment in the game.
“I think he deserved that goal more than anybody.”
As for Garnacho, the United boss said: “He was really happy (to score), but the most important thing is the way he’s improving his game.
“He’s playing both sides, not just on the left. He’s sprinting back. These small things he’s doing quite well, and when you do the small things in that manner the good things are going to show, and he also deserved a goal today.”
Amorim can feel the “performances are improving” as United head into a two-and-a-half week break buoyed by an impressive win against Leicester and progress to the Europa League quarter-finals.
Ayden Heaven made his first senior competitive start in Thursday’s 4-1 last-16 second leg win over Real Sociedad and made a promising start to his full Premier League debut at the King Power Stadium.
But the 18-year-old would leave the field on a stretcher just minutes into the second half after suffering a serious-looking injury attempting to stop Patson Daka meeting a cross.
Heaven was seen walking out of the stadium with his foot in a protective boot, and Amorim said: “We will see next week.
“It’s hard to understand because even when he’s on the ground, he cannot speak. He doesn’t know how to explain what he’s feeling because he’s so young. It’s hard to understand what he’s feeling.”
While United head into the international break with a pep in their step, Leicester limp on knowing it is likely a case of when rather than if they are relegated.
The Foxes sit 19th in the standings and nine points off safety with just nine matches remaining, with boss Van Nistelrooy vowing to keep fighting after overseeing a 13th defeat in 14 Premier League matches.
Asked where it had gone wrong on Sunday, the Leicester boss, who started the season as United assistant and had a spell in interim charge, said: “I think in efficiency, in taking opportunities, the score and defending key moment in the game.
“I think that’s where the difference was made today.
“It’s about while mathematically there’s a possibility (we fight), so as long as that’s the case we are professionals, we keep doing our jobs.
“We can’t and won’t give up until mathematically it’s impossible.”
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