An emphatic 7-0 victory against Barnsley has secured passage to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag’s men came into this evening’s fixture off a comprehensive Premier League win against Southampton, with Old Trafford anticipating progression against their League One opponents.
Expectedly, a heavily altered XI handled the visiting threat ruthlessly – adding to the dismay caused by the talented under-21 side during August’s EFL Trophy meeting.
Momentum is a crucial factor for any football club, and the rewards of back-to-back victories and an abundance of goals will hopefully play their part against Crystal Palace on Saturday evening.
Old Trafford in seventh heaven
Manuel Ugarte came in for his first start in Red alongside Altay Bayindir, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Casemiro, Toby Collyer, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.
Although it was a team representing eight changes from the weekend, a selection of international talent – led by the trio of Marcus Rashford, Garnacho and Antony – offered more than enough menace in the final third.
Rashford opened the scoring after 16 minutes, with the Wythenshawe man beating his defender before hammering home in vintage fashion.
That set the tone for a dominating half, with Antony converting his earned penalty after 35 minutes before Garnacho added a third seconds before the break.
With 71% of the possession, ten attempts on target and three goals, it was a job well done for the Premier Division side.
Garnacho doubled his tally with United’s fourth shortly after the restart when an exquisite pass from Christian Eriksen left the Argentine in acres of space behind the visiting defence.
The phenomenal youngster turned provider before the hour mark, laying a sumptuous ball for the onrushing Rashford to slot home with a perfect first-time finish.
It was a pulsating display from back to front, with the gulf in class evident throughout the evening.
Eriksen added a brace of his own in the final ten minutes, with Ten Hag introducing Bruno Fernandes, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Amad Diallo throughout the final thirty minutes.
Outside of the scoreline and the lack of injuries to his squad, Ten Hag will be delighted with the tempo and cutting edge throughout the group.
It was a professional evening with a sense of charisma and ruthlessness – regardless of the level of opposition.
The draw for the fourth round will take place on Wednesday, 25th September, with the prospect of a second final tilt in three years edging closer.
Focus now shifts to Saturday evening’s trip to Selhurst Park, where the Dutchman will aim to abolish the memory of May’s 4-0 horrorshow.
How do you feel about this evening’s performance against Barnsley and what is your pick of the goals?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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