Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho ended goal droughts in a comfortable 3-0 Manchester United win at embattled Leicester that was tainted by a serious-looking injury to teenager Ayden Heaven.
The 18-year-old arrived from Arsenal last month and followed an impressive first senior competitive start in Thursday’s Europa League victory against Real Sociedad with an eye-catching first-half display at the King Power Stadium.
But Heaven’s full Premier League debut came to an agonising end shortly after half-time, with the United centre-back taken off on a stretcher after lengthy treatment having been hurt stopping Patson Daka reaching a cross.
Ruben Amorim will be hoping the issue is not as severe at it looked considering the way he shone during an opening period that saw Hojlund end his 21-game wait for a goal with an emphatic United opener.
Garnacho followed suit in the second half, ending his 24-match scoreless streak with a first-time strike having seen another effort ruled out for offside shortly before.
Standout skipper Bruno Fernandes swept home a third goal at the end as Ruud van Nistelrooy – who started the season as United assistant and temporarily stepped in as interim boss – oversaw a 13th defeat in 14 league matches.
Relegation beckons for the toothless Foxes, who sit 19th and nine points from safety and were booed by those left at the ground.
Amorim’s side dominated play from the outset as they patiently prodded and probed, creating half chances along the way.
Garnacho saw an effort comfortably held by Mads Hermansen, who was brilliantly beaten soon after as Christian Eriksen played a one-two with Fernandes from a corner and whipped a first-time shot on to the far post.
United’s travelling fans were raucous and the volume from that corner of the ground went up several notches in the 28th minute.
Boubakary Soumare could not stop Fernandes slipping Hojlund behind, with Wout Faes’ indecision giving the striker the time needed to drive a low strike beyond Hermansen into the far corner.
The striker’s relief was as palpable as his delight after his first goal in three months.
United did not have much to contend with but Heaven looked promising, producing an important pair of blocks to deny Daka and Bilal El Khannouss as half-time approached.
But the young defender’s night would end with him leaving on a stretcher in the 51st minute having hurt himself preventing Daka reaching a Jamie Vardy cross.
Heaven clearly feared he had done something serious given the way he signalled to the bench, with Amorim patting the defender as he was taken down the tunnel.
It was a gut punch for United, but they continued in the ascendancy.
Eriksen continued to threaten from distance and Garnacho celebrated having given the visitors a deserved second, only for the offside flag to see him quickly halt his celebrations on the advertising board.
The Argentina international would not be denied for long, though, as Fernandes prodded through for him to swipe past Hermansen in the 67th minute.
Leicester were denied a lifeline by Matthijs de Ligt’s exquisite block as substitute Facundo Buonanotte prepared to score, before Harry Amass marked his 18th birthday by coming on for his United debut.
A third would follow in the 90th minute, with Diogo Dalot doing well and cutting back for Fernandes to slam home from the edge of the box.
Vardy saw a shot stopped by Onana towards the end of stoppage time but the damage was long since done.
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