Manchester United booked their place at Wembley later this month with a convincing, second-leg victory over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, with Erik ten Hag’s side setting up an intriguing showdown with Newcastle United following that 5-0 aggregate triumph.
The Red Devils had arguably all but secured progression heading into the clash at Old Trafford as a result of the 3-0 win in the first leg a week ago, although the United boss was taking few chances as he once again named a strong starting lineup in order to ward off complacency.
It was, however, the visitors who had the better of the openings in the first half, with Brennan Johnson inexplicably firing straight at stand-in stopper, Tom Heaton, while Emmanuel Dennis – who had been a late call-up to the side for the injured Jesse Lingard – saw his goal-bound effort deflect off teammate Sam Surridge.
With tempers beginning to flare amid what was a frantic and feisty start to the second period, Ten Hag then called in the cavalry to help take the tie away from the Midlands side, with Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho all entering the fray on the hour mark, the latter man receiving a huge ovation following his lengthy spell away from the action.
Those changes almost instantly paid dividends as the returning Martial slotted home after a brilliant breakaway, before fellow substitute Rashford then teed up Fred at the back post just minutes later, following an initial exquisite, outside of the boot pass from Bruno Fernandes.
It was the latter man who was perhaps unsurprisingly the recipient of the Man of the Match award on the night as a result of his typically creative and industrious display – both in a central role and on the flanks – having laid on four key passes in total, while also winning three of his four ground duels.
The Portuguese playmaker was not alone in having shone, however, with summer signing Casemiro once again rubberstamping his growing importance to Ten Hag’s side, having showcased why he is simply on a “different level“, in the words of journalist Liam Canning.
While it may have been somewhat of a surprise to see the 30-year-old named from the start – just days after his brilliant brace in the FA Cup win over Reading – the former Real Madrid man illustrated why he may well be undroppable at present.
The experienced Brazilian was simply “brilliant to watch” – as per journalist Samuel Luckhurst – having notably played his part in the home side’s opener after feeding Martial with a clever sliding pass, once again illustrating that he is more than just a “steady Eddie” at the base of midfield, as pundit Graeme Souness previously summated.
That quality on the ball was also evident in the first half as the 69-cap machine teed up January arrival Wout Weghorst with a delightful, sweeping cross, albeit with the towering Dutchman seeing his headed effort agonisingly strike the woodwork.
The one-time Porto man’s all-round game was also typically impressive as he lost possession just seven times from his 66 touches and won five of his 11 ground duels, with his match rating of 7.7, as per Sofascore, only bettered by Luke Shaw among his starting teammates.
Although there may be “concern” at just how reliant the Red Devils are on the Sao Paolo native, according to journalist Casey Evans, Casemiro himself cannot be blamed for continually setting the benchmark with his top-drawer displays.
Despite already possessing an enviable trophy cabinet that includes five Champions League triumphs, it does appear that the 6 foot 1 titan is hungry to add to his tally at the Theatre of Dreams.
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