Tranmere Rovers 0, Manchester United 6 (FA Cup 4th Round)
Manchester United hit six goals against Tranmere Rovers in their first competitive fixture against their hosts at Prenton Park in the FA Cup.
Embed from Getty ImagesSix different scorers got on the scoresheet against Rovers as United ended the contest within the first half – the first time the Reds had scored six since Sir Alex Ferguson’s United beat Arsenal 8-2 in August 2011.
Under pressure Reds boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made six changes from the side that lost so disappointingly to Burnley in midweek, with Sergio Romero, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood coming into the side.
David De Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Brandon Williams, Juan Mata, Fred, and Daniel James were rested.
And the rejigged side – playing three at the back – couldn’t have had a better start as any hope of an upset was extinguished within 16 minutes.
All the ingredients for an FA Cup shock at Prenton Park, home of the League One strugglers, were present – a boggy pitch, inclement weather, and hosts in poor league form.
But any doubts were wiped away in just 16 minutes as United racked up three quick goals through Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, and Jesse Lingard.
Both Maguire and Dalot had scored their first goals for United while Lingard hit only his second goal of the season.
Phil Jones scores for Manchester United for the first time since David Moyes was in charge
Phil Jones and Anthony Martial made the game completely safe just before half time while Mason Greenwood was handed the responsibility of making it six from the penalty spot early in the second half as the Reds scored from each of their first six shots on target.
Jones was scoring his first goal since March 2014 – during David Moyes’ range – while Martial and Greenwood were scoring their 12th and 10th goals of the season.
Lingard and Tahith Chong, who earned the penalty that Greenwood scored from, also hit the woodwork in the second half as United could have won by an even bigger margin but the Reds were certainly in cruise control by the end.
But they will face tougher opponents in Manchester City in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi final at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
The Reds will have to score three times to have a chance of beating City, but the morale boosting win help them get some much needed confidence before the short trip to the Etihad.
MATCH STATS – Tranmere Rovers 0, Manchester United 6 (FA Cup 4th Round)
Tranmere Rovers: Davies, Caprice, Clarke, Monthe, Ridehalgh, Morris, Danns, Perkins (Gilmour 65), Blackett-Taylor (Hepburn-Murphy 74), Jennings, Ferrier (Mullin 74)
Tranmere Rovers Subs not used: Pilling, Woods, Wilson, Payne
Booked: Davies
Manchester United: Romero, Lindelof, Jones, Maguire (Williams 64), Dalot, Pereira, Matic (Fred 46), Shaw, Lingard, Greenwood, Martial (Chong 46)
Manchester United subs not used: Grant. Bailly, Mata, James
Booked: Jones
Goals: Maguire 10; Dalot 13; Lingard 16; Jones 41; Martial 45; Greenwood 56 pen
Referee: Lee Mason