Manchester United’s winning streak came to a halt on Sunday in Birmingham, where the Red Devils succumbed 3:1 to Aston Villa and suffered a painful loss in the Premier League, but tonight (Thursday) they got a little revenge on Unai Emery and his players with a 4:2 at Old Trafford, in a game that sealed the third round in the League Cup.
Without the sick Cristiano Ronaldo and without Jadon Sancho and Anthony, and despite the fact that on Sunday Manchester United will host Fulham in a game that will send the Premier League into a long World Cup break, Erik ten Haag made a fairly light rotation and came up in attack with Anthony Martial alongside Marcus Rashford and in midfield Donnie van de Beek and Bruno Fernandes were placed. Ten Haah started in the center of defense with Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire, so that Lisandro Martinez was rested.
After 45 minutes from zero, we were rewarded with a wonderful second half that included five goals, a turnaround and as mentioned a dramatic rise of the Red Devils to the round of 16 of the League Cup. Olly Watkins benefited from a Jacob Ramsey header to put Aston Villa 0:1 up in the 48th minute, but it was only a minute before Fernandes equalized for Martial.
Aston Villa did not sound desperate after already beating United this week and in the 61st minute took the lead after Diego Dalot beat his teammate, goalkeeper Martin Dubrebka, but the locals’ response was quick again and it was Rashford who made it 2:2 after only six minutes.
The red turnaround was completed in the 78th minute following a serious mistake by goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who handed straight to the feet of the young Alejandro Granacho, who came in a quarter of an hour earlier at the expense of Martial, the 18-year-old Argentine handed to Fernandez and from there the path to the net was short. After the Portuguese’s goal, Villa tried with all their might to equalize and in the 90th + 1st minute Granacho scored for the second time, when he found Scott McTominay who made it 2:4 at the end.
Immediately after the game, the draw for the round of 16 of the League Cup was held, when the current cup holder, Liverpool, and Manchester City, the English champions, will meet in Moked. Manchester United will host Burnley, Bournemouth will come to Newcastle and Brighton will host Charlton.
The full draw:
Wolves – Gillingham
Southampton – Lincoln
Blackburn Rovers – Nottingham Forest
Newcastle – Bournemouth
Manchester City – Liverpool
Manchester United – Burnley
M.K. Dons – Leicester
Charlton – Brighton