Manchester United’s Premier League title hopes could also be fading, however a primary closing underneath Erik ten Hag is now in sight.
A 3-0 away win within the first leg of the League Cup semifinals in opposition to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday put United in management forward of the return fixture at Old Trafford subsequent week.
Goals from Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst and Bruno Fernandes on the City Ground went a way towards easing the frustration of the late 3-2 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, which dented United’s problem on the prime of the league.
Ten Hag, nonetheless, has moved a step nearer to the membership’s first silverware for six years.
A Wembley closing in opposition to Newcastle or Southampton awaits United except Forest can mount an unlikely fightback.
Newcastle leads Southampton 1-0 after the primary leg.
“We have to play one game, we have to do the same,” Ten Hag mentioned. “We have to prepare, make good game plan and the players have to be focused.”
Rashford opened the scoring for United after six minutes with a run from the midway line earlier than bursting previous Joe Worrall and Remo Freuler within the field and ending clinically.
It was the in-form England ahead’s tenth objective in as many video games since coming back from the World Cup and his fifth within the League Cup this season. No participant from Europe’s massive 5 leagues has scored as many over that interval.
Sam Surridge had a objective dominated out by VAR for offside earlier than Weghorst, who signed on mortgage from Burnley this month, scored his first for his new membership within the forty fifth.
Antony’s shot from the sting of the field was solely parried by Forest goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and Weghorst reacted sharply to transform the rebound.
Fernandes rounded off the scoring within the 89th and certain ended Forest’s slim hopes of a comeback.
“We’ve put ourselves in this situation and we have to deal with it next week,” Forest supervisor Steve Cooper mentioned.
United hasn’t received a trophy since 2017 when Jose Mourinho’s workforce lifted the League Cup and Europa League in his first season in cost.
Ten Hag is aiming to copy that feat by delivering a trophy in his debut marketing campaign after being appointed on the finish of final season.
The former Ajax coach spoke this week of the significance of selecting up silverware in his bid to return United to its former glories.
He questioned his gamers’ profitable mentality after the defeat to Arsenal left his workforce 11 factors off the league chief, however bought the specified response in opposition to Forest.
“We lost the last game so we had to produce now and as a team we did,” United defender Lisandro Martinez mentioned. “You can see after we do the fitting issues we don’t concede targets. We managed the sport, however we nonetheless have many issues to enhance on and we’ve got to maintain going.”
