Manchester United blitzed into a dominant Carabao Cup first leg semi-final victory against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, with the taste of silverware now within touching distance.
The respective Premier League outfits have both been in good form recently, but it was Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils who took control of the tie and took a huge step towards a finale at Wembley with a convincing 3-0 victory, where either Newcastle United or Southampton await, with the Magpies winning their own first leg 1-0.
With Rashford basking in a purple patch of the most vibrant hue, scoring ten goals from his past ten matches across all competitions, and adding to his growing collection with a fierce finish early in the affair, and January signing Wout Weghorst scoring from his third appearance for the club, the away end had erupted into pandemonium with qualification looking increasingly likely.
And with the marvellous Bruno Fernandes, who Football FanCast predicted would be a centrepiece, scoring a resounding rolling strike in the dying embers, the impending fixture at the Theatre of Dreams could be a formality ahead of the best opportunity to lift silverware since last winning a major honour in 2017.
Amid the wealth of commendable attacking impetus, the defensive organisation and structure played an equally integral role, with Lisandro Martinez impeccable once again and named Man of the Match for his all-encompassing and unwavering display at the heart of the backline.
But it is shot-stopper David De Gea who deserves plaudits for yet another convincing and commanding display between the sticks; not oblivious to criticism, the 32-year-old Spaniard has been touted with a move away from Old Trafford this season, but is now reasserting his authority, aligned with his club’s collective resurgence.
Do Manchester United need to replace De Gea?
Yes
No
Indeed, on the night, as per Sofascore, the £375k-per-week phenom recorded an average rating of 7.8 – bettered only by the aforementioned Martinez – and certainly earned praise for a solid performance containing several “outstanding” saves in the words of PA reporter Simon Peach.
Having made four stops and one clearance, De Gea certainly dealt with the direct threat, and with an emphatic clean sheet, there is certainly a platform from which the outfit can seek further clarity over the tightening of the defensive structure.
De Gea also won 100% of his total duels and completed 90% of his passes, which will be a particularly pleasing aspect to a thoroughly enjoyable evening for the Dutch manager, who could do with a ball-playing approach from his goalkeeper to swiftly start progressive transitions.
There has been speculation aplenty over Man United’s pursuit of a fresh keeper to form the foundation of the new iron-clad skeleton being crafted by Ten Hag, but with the pieces clicking together like a key in a lock, the stalwart Spanish titan could continue to occupy the role at the beginning of a new era.
