Manchester United cruised into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after an easy 7-0 win over League One side Barnsley at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring with a lovely individual effort – before Antony won and converted a first-half penalty to double their advantage.
Alejandro Garnacho scored a brace before Rashford added his second of the night and United’s fifth just before the hour-mark.
Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen also got in on the act as he fired in two more goals to round off proceedings and make it 7-0.
With plenty to digest, here are five talking points from United’s comfortable win over Barnsley.
Rashford resurgence continues against Barnsley
After a solid outing and a goal to his name in last weekend’s win over Southampton, Rashford was given another opportunity to start by Erik ten Hag – this time leading the line as a striker.
The 26-year-old seemed to bring his promising form from St Mary’s into the win over the Oakwell side as he bagged two more goals in front of his home fans.
The forward cut in from the right and beat a defender to smash the ball home for his first strike – before being sent clean through by Garnacho to slot in his second of the evening on 58 minutes.
The Wythenshawe man looked back to something close to his best last night. After three goals in two games, supporters hope the English international can regain his top form.
Manuel Ugarte makes impressive full debut
It was a first start in red for newly signed defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan played in a pivot with fellow South American Casemiro, and it’s fair to say he got stuck in right from the start.
The 23-year-old played just over an hour against the Yorkshire outfit, putting himself about in a typically combative fashion.
The former PSG and Sporting Lisbon ace can be happy with his performance, constantly closing down the opposition and looking confident on the ball as he kept things ticking over nicely throughout.
Ugarte offers Ten Hag a different dimension in the engine room, which can only bode well for the Dutch manager moving forward.
Alejandro Garnacho shows his class
Another man who impacted affairs on the south coast at the weekend was Alejandro Garnacho. The Madrid-born starlet scored the third goal in a 3-0 win over the Saints – having stepped off the bench as a second-half substitute.
The Argentine winger was handed a starting berth in Tuesday’s cup tie against Barnsley, and he took his chance with both hands – putting in a fantastic performance.
He set Rashford away for the first goal before pouncing to poke home the Red Devils’ third just before half-time, before calmly slotting in his second and United’s fourth of the night on 49 minutes after being sent clear by Eriksen.
An in-form Garnacho now provides his manager with a selection dilemma for Saturday’s tea-time trip to Selhurst Park – and it will be interesting to see if the young attacker can keep his place in the starting XI.
Christian Eriksen proves he still has a role to play
It was two starts from two for Christian Eriksen, and he built on a promising league display with an even better showing against the Tykes.
The 32-year-old registered an assist when setting up Garnacho for United’s fourth strike – before bagging a brace of fine finishes late on.
After an uncertain summer for the Denmark star, many believed his days at Old Trafford were numbered.
However, he has certainly rolled back the years in the last couple of games and once again proven to be a valuable asset to his team.
The former Spurs man won’t be an automatic first-choice pick this season – and despite his lack of mobility, he still has something to offer as a cultured, classy ball player.
Eriksen showed he can still be called upon when needed, and that is exactly what you want from your squad players.
Morale boosting win can breed confidence
It’s now two wins on the bounce, with ten goals scored and none conceded for Ten Hag’s side. This has surely been a much-needed confidence-boosting few days – albeit against weaker opposition.
However, you can only beat what’s in front of you, and United have certainly done that in emphatic fashion
The players expressed themselves and seemed to really enjoy the prospect of dominating their opponents, which has been something that had been missing for quite a while.
The passages of play highlighted the class a top Premier League side should display, and this looks to be a team that, if the last couple of matches are any indication, will continue to grow.
What did you make of Manchester United’s performance in the Carabao Cup triumph over Barnsley?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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