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On this day: Manchester United win thriller at Filbert Street

Thirty-one years ago today, Manchester United won by the odd goal in five away at Leicester City.

When Manchester United and Leicester City met during the 1980s, one thing was invariably guaranteed - goals.

None of the 10 First Division encounters in that decade had less fewer two goals in them, while in total the net bulged on 29 different occasions.

Portrait of Alan Brazil of Manchester United© Getty Images

It meant that when the two sides met at Filbert Street 31 years ago today, there was little surprise in the fact that the teams produced a five-goal contest that eventually went the way of Ron Atkinson's visitors.

Atkinson had spent £625,000 to sign Alan Brazil from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer, but the Scot had so far struggled to show the clinical form that seemed to have come so naturally to him while he was with his first club Ipswich Town.

However, he scored just his second league goal for United to break the deadlock against the Foxes in the 26th minute. Having beaten the offside trap, the centre-forward then fired a low shot beyond the reach of advancing Leicester goalkeeper Ian Andrews.

While that was to be Brazil's only meaningful contribution of the game, Leicester frontman Gary Lineker was just getting ready to have a big say on proceedings.

In the 36th minute he rose highest to meet Andy Feeley's cross from the right flank, only to see his downward header saved by United stopper Gary Bailey. However, the ball sprung up in the air and Ian Banks reacted quickest to nod in the rebound.

Parity remained until the hour mark when the away side went back in front with a not too dissimilar strike to their first of the afternoon. This time it was Mark Hughes that showed the Leicester defence a clean pair of heels before he drilled home.

Third-from-bottom Leicester rallied once again, though, and with six minutes remaining it seemed that they had snatched a share of the spoils thanks to Lineker, who volleyed into the bottom corner from six yards out.

Yet, in the final minute United inflicted an eighth defeat of the season on Gordon Milne's charges. Winger Gordon Strachan's cross caused mayhem in the Leicester box and after big appeals from the away team for handball, the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Strachan to smash his kick from 12 yards straight down the middle to seal all three points for United.

It was a result that lifted a triumphant United up to second in table and three points behind leaders Everton, while Leicester slumped to 21st position.

Leicester: Andrews; Ramsey, Hazell, O'Neill, Feeley; MacDonald (Smith), Banks, Wilson, Lynex; Lineker, Eastoe

Man United: Bailey; Gidman, Hogg, Garton, Albiston; Olsen (Whiteside), Moses, Robson, Strachan; Hughes, Brazil

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French football player Didier Six fights the ball on July 8, 1982 prior the World Cup semifinal match between West Germany and France, in the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium in Seville
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City23183255144157
2Liverpool22146258193948
3Chelsea24138348183047
4Manchester UnitedMan Utd2211563630638
5West Ham UnitedWest Ham23114841311037
6Arsenal2111373325836
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs2011362624236
8Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2110471916334
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2261242323030
10Leicester CityLeicester207583437-326
11Aston Villa2182112832-426
12Southampton2251072634-825
13Crystal Palace225983134-324
14Brentford2365122638-1223
15Leeds UnitedLeeds215792440-1622
16Everton2054112435-1119
17Norwich CityNorwich2244141345-3216
18Watford2143142340-1715
19Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2129102143-2215
20Burnley1911081627-1113

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