Leicester City vs. Manchester United: Score, Reaction from 2017 Premier League

Manchester United overcame a sloppy start to cruise to a 3-0 win over Leicester City during Sunday's Premier League action in King Power Stadium.

United were dreadful for the bulk of the first half but came on strong towards the end, and quick goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic put them on the road to victory.

Juan Mata added a goal early in the second half, and the Foxes never troubled the Red Devils again.

As United's official Twitter account shared, manager Jose Mourinho gave Mata a start in midfield:

The attacking duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez started for Leicester.

The match got off to a tense start, with United trying to take advantage of some early miscues from the Foxes defenders. Danny Drinkwater was booked after just five minutes, as he pulled back Mata.

BEN STANSALL/Getty Images

Marcos Rojo barely tested Kasper Schmeichel with the first shot of the match, and the poor play from both sides continued. The ball barely left the centre of the park, with both teams battling it out but producing little danger of note.

Sports writer Liam Canning didn't enjoy the first 15 minutes:

Vardy picked out Wes Morgan after a free-kick, and his header was blocked out for a corner kick. The England international then played in Ahmed Musa, who couldn't get past Eric Bailly. At the other end of the pitch, Marcus Rashford fired a shot over the bar.

Things got more physical as the half wore on, and Mata produced a horrendous challenge on Vardy after 28 minutes. Somehow, the former Chelsea man wasn't sent off, and former professional footballer Jan Aage Fjortoft thought he should consider himself lucky:

United improved as the half progressed, and with half-time in sight, they started to produce some chances. Rashford drew an excellent save from Schmeichel after cutting inside, and the pressure persisted.

In the span of two minutes, the visitors grabbed a two-goal lead. First, Mkhitaryan took advantage of a mistake from Robert Huth, beating him for pace and easily slotting home. Shortly after, Ibrahimovic fired a strike through the legs of Morgan and into the back of the net. 

According to former England international and broadcaster Gary Lineker, the loss of N'Golo Kante has highlighted the fact Leicester's defence is rather pedestrian:

That point was made clear again early in the second half, as the Red Devils almost walked through the Foxes back line when Mata made it 3-0. 

Canning also weighed in on Kante and his impact:

Rashford perhaps should have played in Mata with United's next chance, but he instead opted to go for glory, giving Schmeichel the chance to save. 

Mahrez fired Leicester's first real chance of the half into the side netting, with plenty of fans believing the ball went in. At the other end, Mata made himself look a little silly, as he wasted a great opportunity by trying to chip Schmeichel, who stayed on his feet.

BEN STANSALL/Getty Images

The pace of the match dropped as the Red Devils went into conservation mode, but Leicester were unable to do much about it. United easily took control of the ball, and at times, they seemed to be in the middle of a training exercise rather than a Premier League match.

Mkhitaryan fired a shot over the bar, and David De Gea somehow got himself booked for time-wasting before the final whistle blew.

As shared by United's official Twitter account, Mourinho was satisfied with his team's performance:

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri dismissed rumours he could be on his way out:

United's next outing will be at home against Watford in the Premier League on Saturday, while Leicester host Derby County in an FA Cup fourth-round replay on Wednesday.