MAN UNITED 4, WEST HAM 1
Manchester United finally rediscovered a cutting edge as they breezed past West Ham at Old Trafford to move into the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.
Two goals apiece from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial provided the reward that their excellent display deserved and set up a two-legged tie against Hull City.
And it was great to see Martial, who had had a difficult start to the season, back to the form of last season when he was such a hit in his debut season with the Reds.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, another forgotten man, also impressed after a difficult start to his Reds’ career.
And Michael Carrick pulled the strings in midfield.In his nine starts, United have won eight times and drawn the other.
United again created plentiful chances – 19 to six by the Hammers with 10 on target to their opponents’ two.
It was a good night for Reds’ manager Jose Mourinho who was banned from the technical area following his sending off against the Hammers on Sunday.
After watching the game from the directors’ box, he was not surprised by the victory.
He said: “The performance is something we are used to. We are playing very well at home. Today was more the same.
“In the second half we got to play beautiful, attacking football. Goals plus performance means real happiness.”
Both teams made five changes from the sides that took to the field on Sunday.
There were United recalls for Luke Shaw, Carrick, Mkhitaryan, Wayne Rooney and Martial.
The players losing out were the suspended Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford.
There was one minute’s silence before kick off in memory of the footballers from Brazilian side Chapecoense who perished in an air crash en route to a cup final in Colombia.
While Diafra Sakho found the net for West Ham at Old Trafford on Sunday after only 90 seconds, there was another quickfire goal.
This time United found the net after 92 seconds after they made a whirlwind start.
Rooney and Mlhitaryan linked with the Armenian captain back heeling the ball to Ibrahimovic who race clear to dink the ball past Adrian for his 10th goal of the season.
And it was so nearly 2-0 inside seven minutes with Rooney the provider for Ibrahimovic who was twice denied by Adrian who saved his initial shot and then follow-up shot.
Adrian was kept busy as he dived full length to his left to turn away Rooney’s free kick bent in from the left.
The Hammers, completely outplayed, drew level after 35 minutes completely against the run of play.
De Gea fumbled a shot from Dimitri Payet straight to Fletcher and the former United player Ashley Fletcher who slotted home his first goal for the Hammers.
And it prompted the visiting fans to ironically chant Fletcher was one of their own.
United were forced into a change at the break with Daley Blind replacing Shaw who had picked up a knock.
The Reds regained the lead within three minutes of the restart following a build up down the right. Mkhitaryan burst into the box and cut the ball back to Martial who swept a shot high into the roof of the net for his third goal of the season.
Martial had a chance to score a second goal shortly afterwards, but Adrian pulled off another super save.
It was proving to be a good night for Martial, though, when he added United’s third goal in the 62nd minute.
Ibrahimovic released Antonio Valencia on an overlapping run and he squared a pass to Martial who side footed in a shot from six yards to double his goals total for the season in the pace if 14 minutes.
Swede Ibrahimovic was denied a second by a fine save by Adrian diving full length and low to his left.
The biggest cheer of the night was not for the goals, but for the first appearance since March for Bastian Schweinsteiger who was sent to train with the kids by Mourinho.
The three minutes of stoppage time provided further excitement as Schweinsteiger shot narrowly wide while Sofiane Feghouli shot just over for the Hammers.
But with tiem almost up, United added a third goal when Schweinsteiger released Ander Herrera who wriggled free on the left before squaring a pass for Ibrahimovic to side foot home his second and 11th of the season, a perfect end to the night.