ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC scored the winner but Jesse Lingard’s wonder goal is the one that will linger long in the memory.
WINNER: Ibrahimovic did the business for United
The 23-year-old is growing accustomed to special days at Wembley after scoring the FA Cup final winner against Crystal Palace last season.
But even he might struggle to explain quite how he waltzed through the Leicester defence to score a scintillating opening goal.
His cup final strike might have been more important but how sweet this one must have felt as he sidestepped his way through half the Leicester team.
Andy King lost the ball, Marc Albrighton found himself chasing shadows and Danny Drinkwater was left in his wake as he surged forward.
On he went, bypassing Robert Huth and evading Wes Morgan’s desperate lunge before racing out of reach of Danny Simpson and cooly slotting the ball past keeper Kasper Schmeichel.
It was pure magic.
But when Leicester got themselves level through Jamie Vardy it looked like it might end up being decided on penalties.
Vardy cashed in when Marouane Fellaini made a hash of a back pass to keeper David De Gea.
It was massively under-hit and Vardy, who thrives on such gifts made no mistake with a cool finish after rounding De Gea.
But just when it looked like finishing up level, it was Zlat man who popped up with the winner.
The mercurial striker gave new boss Jose Mourinho his first trophy as United boss after doing precious little for the rest of the game.
He pounced in the 83rd minute, rising above Morgan to nod the ball goalwards and watched it trickle in off the inside of the post.
United deserved it overall, though they survived stoppage time penalty appeals when Antonio Valencia appeared to handle the ball and were left gasping with relief when Ahmed Musa headed over from close.
The strange thing was that Ibrahimovic had given no real indication that he was about to become matchwinner, but that’s perhaps the mark of a world class proven goalscorer.
Up until Lingard’s stunning intervention in the 32nd minute, the men who had caught the eye for United were playing at the back.
New boy Eric Bailly looked the epitome of cool on a baking hot day and at £30m he undoubtedly should.
But the summer signing from Villarreal gave all the indications that he could be just the sort of calming influence at the back that United have been looking for the past few years.
His reckless side did show through though and after being booked for shunting Vardy to the ground, he was lucky not to be sent off when he flattened Demarai Gray with a high boot.
The other to shine was full-back Luke Shaw – not exactly a newcomer but he must have felt like one.
The former Southampton left-back has been out since suffering a double leg break last September and facing up to PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez was probably one he wouldn’t have handpicked.
But whenever the tricky Algerian strayed into his territory, Shaw was there showing all the signs that he will be back to his very best before too long.
And so it was all smiles for Mourinho and his men – well, almost.
The United boss might have some work to do on disgruntled Juan Mata.
The Spaniard openly expressed his displeasure at being subbed less than half an hour after coming on as a replacement for Lingard.
Mourinho did his best to placate him, but he didn’t look in the mood for United’s celebrations.
LEICESTER (4-4-2): Schmeichel 7; Simpson 6 (Hernandez, 62, 5), Huth 7 (Ulloa 88), Morgan 6, Fuchs 7 (Schlupp 80); Albrighton 5 (Gray 45, 7), King 6 (Mendy 61, 6), Drinkwater 7, Mahrez 6; Okazaki 6 (Musa 45, 6), VARDY 8.
Subs: Zieler.
MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Valencia 7, Bailly 8, Blind 7, Shaw 8 (Rojo 69, 6); Fellaini 5, Carrick 6 (Herrera 61, 6); LINGARD 9 (Mata 62, 4, Mkhitaryan 90), Rooney 6 (Schneiderlin 87), Martial 5 (Rashford 69, 5); Ibrahimovic 7.
Subs: Romero.
Referee: Craig Pawson 7
STAR MAN: JESSE LINGARD – class goal
STAR SHOCKER: MAROUANE FELLAINI – cock-up for Vardy’s goal
MATCH RATING: 3
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