Manchester United progressed into the final of the EFL Cup despite a 2-1 defeat in the second leg of their semi-final clash away to Premier League strugglers Hull City. Coming into this fixture with a 2-goal deficit from the first leg at Old Trafford, an optimistic Hull took the lead via a Tom Huddlestone penalty.
However, Paul Pogba’s smart finish midway through the second half appeared to have vanquished any hopes of the Tigers completing an unlikely turnaround. Oumar Niasse brought Hull’s disadvantage down to a single goal yet again with a tap-in the 85th minute, but United held on till the final whistle to book their tickets to Wembley for 26th February, where they will face Southampton in the final.
Here are the talking points from the game at Hull:
#1 Positive Hull dominate the first half
The first half saw a wholly changed Hull City side take the game to Jose Mourinho’s side. Everton loanee Oumar Niasse was electric, skipping past defenders and coming close to scoring on a couple of instances. Sam Clucas tested David de Gea with a fierce free-kick, while the experienced duo of Tom Huddlestone and Shaun Maloney moved the ball around quickly in midfield to stretch United’s defenders.
They were duly rewarded for their positivity when Marcos Rojo was adjudged to have pulled the shirt of a Hull City player by referee Jon Moss while defending a set-piece. Huddlestone converted from the spot to give Hull hope against a laboured United side.
Phil Jones and Chris Smalling looked well below-par, allowing Hull’s attackers to get into space in and around the box. Though they could not progress in the end, manager Marco Silva would have been highly impressed at the effort his players put in in an attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit.
#2 Manchester United sloppy and lethargic, but get the job done
The game will definitely not be remembered for a vintage Manchester United display. A series of lazy passes and a lack of urgency to kill the tie off were the primary characteristics of United’s performance. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was often seen isolated upfront and was unable to impose any strong foothold on the game.
There was hardly any penetration through the Hull defence, with Marcus Rashford the only major threat in attack from the left wing. For most of the first half, United were seen protecting their two-goal advantage from the first leg, sitting off Hull and inviting them to take the initiative. While there may have been an element of bad luck in the manner in which they went behind, United certainly deserved to trail at the break.
It was only post the interval that United briefly made the ball talk in Hull’s half, a spell culminating in Pogba’s equaliser to help United regain a two-goal advantage. In the end, they had to hold off Hull pressure after conceding again late in the game.
#3 Refereeing inconsistencies mar the game
Though the game progressed without much incident, one point of concern was referee Jon Moss’ inconsistencies in awarding free-kicks and penalties during the game. Jones’ foul on Niasse in the 11th minute for blocking his run towards goal earned him a booking.
However, a similar challenge in a similar situation on the other side of the pitch by David Meyler on Marcus Rashford did not warrant any further punishment than the award of a free-kick for United. While Marcos Rojo’s tug on the shirt convinced Mr. Moss enough to point to the penalty spot, Tom Huddlestone’s apparent hauling down of Chris Smalling in the second half when he was about to pull the trigger went unpunished when most onlookers felt that should have been a spot-kick and a possible red card for the Hull City midfielder.
A handball seconds later in the Hull penalty area also went unaccounted for. United were clearly incensed that they were not given a penalty for either incident, especially after the Rojo situation in the first half.
#4 Marco Silva motivating Hull in times of adversity
A lengthy injury list, players on international duty and the possible departure of major players are not the elements a new manager expects to walk into a club to handle. However, recently appointed boss Marco Silva has been efficiently utilising whatever resources he has available at his disposal and it was evident from the spirit his players showed against Manchester United throughout the course of the game.
Debutant Jarrod Bowen showed some signs of promise with a few neat runs across the edge of the box, while Shaun Maloney – making his first start since October – drove his side forward in an attempt to put United under the pump. The fact that they have been creating promising goal-scoring opportunities gives Silva and Hull fans hope that they can survive the drop this season. Hull have now won each of Silva’s first three home games in charge at the KCOM Stadium.
Performances have clearly been much more intense and purposeful than during Mike Phelan’s ill-fated reign and it is quite clear that Silva has injected a new sense of optimism into his players as they now shift their focus towards avoiding relegation.
#5 Oumar Niasse and Abel Hernandez’s goals crucial for Hull
With Hull top-scorer Robert Snodgrass looking increasingly likely to head for the exit door during this transfer window, they desperately need other players to get goals if they are to rack up the points they need to beat the drop.
Oumar Niasse definitely showed that he is capable of that, losing his marker to meet David Meyler’s cross to restore Hull’s lead on the night. Abel Hernandez – who recently returned after an injury layoff – is a natural striker and he will have the responsibility of delivering the goals by running in behind opposition defences, which he managed to do on a couple of occasions since coming on.
Marco Silva will be hopeful that the duo can take off from impressive performances at the KCOM stadium on Thursday night and raise their game to help Hull keep in touch with their relegation counterparts.
