Manchester United are to face bitter rivals Manchester City in the EFL Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 2-0 win at Everton on Wednesday, while Tottenham Hotspur joined them in the last four with victory against Stoke City.
United dominated for long periods of their quarter-final at Goodison Park, but it took until the 88th minute before Edinson Cavani broke the deadlock.
The former Paris Saint-Germain striker’s fourth goal for United since joining on a free transfer in October came at the same venue where he opened his account for the club last month.
Photo: Retuers
Anthony Martial bagged United’s second goal in stoppage-time.
“Cavani’s finish wasn’t bad. He is a quality striker. We know when we defend well we have got players to win us the game,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
“The spirit in the camp is good and this will give us a boost going into the Christmas period,” he said.
After a rocky period that raised questions about Solskjaer’s future following their exit from the Champions League, United have recovered their equilibrium.
They are third in the Premier League and have won their last three matches in all competitions.
United last lifted silverware when they won the Europa League in 2016-2017.
Solskjaer, who won nine major trophies as a player with United, took charge at Old Trafford in 2018 and saw his side lose in three semi-finals last term.
He now has a chance to go one better this season after United were drawn to face holders City in the last four.
United were beaten by City at the same stage of the competition last season.
“We are in the semi-finals, so we are one step away,” Solskjaer said. “It is the worst game to lose, a semi-final. We are going to do everything we can to get to that game in a good state.”
Tottenham and second-tier Brentford will meet in the other semi-final, with the matches to be played over one leg in the week commencing Jan. 4.
Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes were the only Manchester United players to retain their places after the 6-2 rout of Leeds United at the weekend, with Paul Pogba returning to the starting lineup.
With just two minutes left before a penalty shoot-out, Martial slipped a pass to Cavani, who drove a superb strike past Everton goalkeeper Robin Olsen from the edge of the area.
Martial then slotted home with virtually the last kick.
Cavani’s goal came after he had flicked a hand in Yerry Mina’s face earlier in the match, but there was no video assistant referee (VAR) available to potentially punish him.
“The rules were that VAR was not in this game, if the referee decided that Cavani didn’t do anything wrong we have to accept it. Full stop,” Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti said.
Jose Mourinho accused Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli of creating “problems” for his own team during their 3-1 win against Stoke.
Wales forward Gareth Bale made the most of a rare start to put Mourinho’s team ahead at the Bet365 Stadium.
Alli was at fault when his flamboyant flick was intercepted in the buildup to Jordan Thompson’s equalizer for Stoke.
Alli’s latest mistake drew an angry response on the touchline from Mourinho, who rebuked the star before substituting him minutes later.
Ben Davies put Tottenham back in front with his first goal since 2017, before England captain Harry Kane sealed Spurs’ place in the semi-finals.
It was Alli’s public dressing-down that took the spotlight, with the England international’s wretched season hitting a new low in his first start since Nov. 26.
“Yes, for me a player that plays in that position is a player that has to link and create, and not to create problems for his own team,” said Mourinho, who has exiled Alli for long periods this season amid talk of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
“In that situation, an objective counterattack would probably end with a goal, and it ended with a counterattack behind our defenders. So yes, I am upset,” he said.
By the time Cameron Menzies finally left the arena on Monday, the blood gushing from the gash on his right hand had trickled down his wrist, part of his forearm and — somehow — up to his face. Smeared in crimson and regret, and already mouthing sheepish apologies to the crowd, he disappeared down the steps, pursued by a stern-looking Matt Porter, the chief executive of Professional Darts Corp (PDC). The physical scars from Menzies’ encounter with the Alexandra Palace drinks table after his 3-2 defeat against Charlie Manby at the Darts World Championship would be gone within a few weeks.
Manchester United on Monday blew the lead three times to miss out on moving up to fifth in the Premier League as AFC Bournemouth would not be beaten in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Old Trafford. United have lost just once in their past 10 games, but Ruben Amorim would be frustrated as more points at home were frittered away despite arguably the best attacking display of his reign in charge. Amad Diallo and Casemiro gave the hosts a halftime lead either side of Antoine Semenyo’s equalizer. Two Bournemouth goals from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier in seven minutes at the start of the
LOW-GOAL SHOOT-OUT: Of the nine penalties in the shoot-out, only three went in, with Flamengo’s Samuel Lino, and Vitinha and Nuno Mendes of PSG netting Matvei Safonov on Wednesday made four straight penalty saves in a penalty shoot-out to help Paris Saint-Germain beat Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup final and win a sixth trophy of the year. The Russian goalkeeper was thrown in the air by his teammates after his exploits in the shoot-out, which was won 2-1 by PSG after a 1-1 draw after extra-time. It completed a trophy-laden 12 months for the French team, who had already won the Trophee des Champions, Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup — also on penalties against Tottenham Hotspur in
LACKLUSTER FIGHT: At one stage, the referee lost patience with the two fighters, warning them in the fourth round that ‘the fans did not pay to see this crap’ Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in their controversial Netflix-backed bout in Miami. The fight at the Kaseya Center, which saw both men reportedly splitting a mammoth purse of US$184 million, had triggered alarm across boxing due to the gulf in physical size and class between Britain’s two-time former world champion Joshua and Paul, an Internet personality who has forged a lucrative career through a handful of novelty boxing contests. However, in the event, Joshua made hard work of defeating his vastly less accomplished opponent, before his superior size and power eventually told
RSS