Leicester vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Erik ten Hag’s side win three in a row

As the building blocks of one managerial tenure are carefully laid in place, those of another perhaps begin to come apart. Manchester United are up to the nosebleed territory of fifth - a height barely thinkable at the beginning of last week - after this 1-0 victory over bottom-of-the-league Leicester City, courtesy of an excellent first-half team goal finished off by Jadon Sancho. The only comfort to Brendan Rodgers will be that his opponents for the evening were in a similar position until recently.

It is difficult to escape the sense that whereas one of these clubs is at the beginning of their journey, the other is in danger of reaching an end. It is not since his time with Swansea City that Rodgers has lost four consecutive Premier League games. Expectations were not as great back then, and even if he can point to a lack of investment in the summer market, with the last-minute £15m acquisition of Wout Faes the only significant arrival, results are desperately needed.

Perhaps most worryingly of all for Leicester, United did not have to be particularly good to take all three points, or even rely on the players rushed in since losing their opening games of the campaign. Erik ten Hag’s third successive win was comfortable for the most part, with even Leicester’s brief attempts at a second half surge dealt with and contained. All three victories have come by a single goal. There is work to do. But the trajectory is unmistakably upward.

Post match reaction from Manchester United’s matchwinner, Jadon Sancho: “It was a great team goal and I am happy to get the three points for the team.

“I have gotten to know the players a lot more after missing pre-season last year and I am really happy to score. We hoped to start the season with two wins but that woke us up and I am happy to get the third win today.”

That victory moves Manchester United back up to fifth place within six points of the league leaders Arsenal. The Red Devils face the Gunners on Sunday afternoon in what is a massive game for both teams.

United need to keep up their momentum and Arsenal need to prove they can beat a top six side.

The Leicester players are booed off the pitch for the second home game in a row. This is now their worst start to a season since 1994 and they remain bottom of the league with just one point out of an available 15.

Manchester United looked more comfortable and stable. They had to defend a slender lead and managed the game well, not perfectly, but well enough.

90+4 mins: There goes the whistle! Manchester United win their third game in a row. It’s the first time in a year that they’ve won back-to-back away fixtures.

90+2 mins: Chance! Leicester fly up the pitch with Daka receiving the ball. He gives it to Dewsbury-Hall who lays it off to Maddison and sets up a shot.

Maddison hits it first time and belts his effort over the crossbar.

90 mins: Fernandes fires a cross into the box and a back tracking Iheanacho blocks the pass but volleys the ball narrowly over the top of his own goal.

Four minutes of added time to play.

87 mins: Jamie Vardy picks up a yellow card for a heavy tackle on Malacia in what is his last act of the night. Patson Daka comes on to take his spot up front.

Marcus Rashford is also taken off with Fred brought on for Man Utd.

84 mins: Ronaldo is played in behind on the right side of the box this time. He’s been a force of nature since coming on. Eriksen is up with him once more and Ronaldo fizzes a pass across the area but can’t pick out his team-mate.

Rashford sprints over to the wing to try and keep it alive but Justin arrives and whacks it into the forward in order to send the ball out for a throw in.

81 mins: Chance! This is so close. Fernandes nutmegs Thomas and switches the play over to Rashford on the left side of the pitch. He brings it down and slides a pass into the box to Ronaldo who’s made an overlapping run.

Ronaldo squares it to the open Eriksen but at the last moment Jonny Evans lunges in front of the pass and intercepts. The ball comes back to Ronaldo and he pulls it back to Rashford who scuffs an effort wide of the far post.