Manchester United welcomes Leicester City to Old Trafford in their return to the Premier League after the international break and Ralf Rangnick’s side put in a less than inspiring performance in their 1-1 draw with the Foxes.

The Red Devils just about controlled possession over the course of the game, with 54% of the ball and two more shots on target than their opponents, but they were unable to deliver the crucial win they needed to keep them firmly in the top four race.

They find themselves four points behind Arsenal, who are yet to play this weekend, and the fourth-placed Gunners could go seven points clear of United if they win on Monday night, with one extra game still in hand too.

Despite having two more shots on target, the home side were unable to convert their chances, with Leicester going 1-0 up through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 63rd minute, although United were quick to respond with Fred netting the equaliser just three minutes after.

The game was full of controversial decisions which will leave fans talking long after the game, with Scott McTominay making a questionable challenge on James Maddison minutes into the second half and a goal disallowed by Maddison after VAR picked up an Iheanacho foul on Raphael Varane in the build-up.

One player who struggled to perform for United today was Anthony Elanga, who failed to make an impact throughout the game and cost them their last chance when Marcus Rashford was brought down in the box in an odd mix-up from the youngster, who was caught offside tangling himself up with his strike partner.

According to SofaScore, Elanga – who was dubbed a “great talent” by Swedish compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimović – was rated the worst player in the team (6.4) behind Paul Pogba and Alex Telles after losing the ball once every three touches, failed to accurately place any of his three crosses and was caught offside twice throughout the match.

Ultimately the 19-year-old’s performance was more of a hinderance than a help in the forward line at Old Trafford this evening, and Rangnick will surely be exchanging words with the young attacker about his positioning and mistakes throughout the game.

United have a huge challenge on their hands to gain a spot in the top four to secure Champions League football next season and will now need to rely on Arsenal dropping points to have a chance at stealing fourth at the end of the season. There is no room for error anymore and Elanga’s performance this evening will have only further contributed to a season of despair for the Red Devils.

In other news: Rangnick must wield the axe on “embarrassing” £180k-p/w MUFC dud this summer