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Everton hadn’t registered a single shot on target for 15 minutes. That is how dominant Manchester United was during their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against the Toffees on Tuesday.
The Red Devils looked sharp and fit despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer making nine changes to the side that purged Leeds United on Sunday. It’s been a long time since Manchester United played with such finesse and swagger.
A major criticism of Manchester United this season has been that they are unable to break down teams that sit deep and defend. They created all the chances in the first half an hour of the game but failed to score as Everton defended well and looked to catch them on the counter.
However, the fact that the team is now creating chances is something worth commending. Solskjaer’s side hasn’t looked back since their disappointing 3-2 defeat against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. While being relegated to the Europa League was disappointing, the Red Devils have stepped it up in domestic competition.
The Reds are currently on a four-game unbeaten run and are flying high in the Premier League. They’ve now also scored 11 goals in their last four games.
For a side that started the season poorly, Manchester United are now firmly in the Premier League title race and have also now secured a semi-final berth in the Carabao Cup.
Wednesday’s performance epitomises how far the team have come. A year ago, they would have struggled to make meaningful substitutions when the going got tough at Goodison Park.
On Tuesday, while Donny van de Beek and Mason Greenwood were being substituted, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial were coming on. It was no surprise that the pair completely changed the game.
It was Martial’s pass that found Edinson Cavani for Manchester United's opening goal in the 88th minute. After this, the two substitutes combined to seal the result as Rashford set up Martial to make it 2-0 deep into injury time.
Time for Manchester United to win some silverware
The Reds have been now been drawn against old foes Manchester City in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the first week of January.
Having made progress under Solskjaer, it’s now time for Manchester United to win some silverware this season and the Carabao Cup presents a realistic opportunity for them to do just that.
Last season, the team made it to three semi-finals under Solskjaer but lost in each of them. A repeat of that will be unacceptable in the current campaign. Skipper Harry Maguire was positive when he reflected on the win against Everton.
"It was an excellent performance and we should have been out of sight. We had three or four great chances. We need to be more clinical," United skipper Maguire told Sky Sports in the post-match interview. "Edinson Cavani's finish was excellent. He's had an injury but it's good to have him back, he's been a top striker throughout his career."
"We are expected to win trophies. It's important to reach these big games but we have to start winning them and lift some trophies for this club," added Maguire.
Manchester United have to start winning trophies and they have all the tools to do it this season. The Red Devils have enough quality, boast the perfect squad depth and are currently unstoppable.
