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United through to Carabao Cup fourth round

First-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Case­miro set United on their way to a place in the last 16, with the Brazilian providing the cross for Anthony Martial’s clinical first-time effort 10 minutes after the restart.

Having faced various forms of chaos in the past few weeks, this was the kind of straightfor­ward night United manager, Erik ten Hag, must have longed for as his side completed the biggest win of a season in which they have struggled so far.

With Mason Mount back in the starting XI and fellow summer signing, Sofyan Amrabat, making his first start – albeit at left-back – Ten Hag was at least able to integrate to an extent some key pieces of his United puzzle.

Plenty of instances of con­trolled possession, which many supporters have been disappoint­ed Ten Hag has failed to imple­ment so far, were on display too.

Evidently, the game plan was to create an overload on the Unit­ed right with lofted cross-field passes from the left, which both Amrabat and Mount were able to execute.

Morocco international, Am­rabat, in particular caught the eye as an inverted left-back. The on-loan Fiorentina man’s early shot was poor, but he was excellent aside from that and demonstrated an excellent passing range, plenty of energy and an ability to spot danger when it arose.

Fellow full-back, Diogo Dalot, created the opener when he burst onto Facundo Pellistri’s pass and

 pulled a low cross back for Gar­nacho to finish, before Mount’s superb corner picked out Case­miro six minutes later to double the hosts’ lead, and effectively end the contest.

Martial’s strike from an acute angle was his first goal of the sea­son and came in his first appear­ance at Old Trafford since Ten Hag was booed for bringing him on in place of Rasmus Hojlund against Brighton.

Having been a spectator for most of the night, goalkeeper, Andre Onana, was called upon to make two excellent late saves, denying two close-range efforts from Palace striker, Jean-Phillippe Mateta, on both occasions.—BBC

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