0-2: Manchester United maintain their form in the Cup

He Manchester United beat Wigan (0-2), a team two categories lower, and reached the round of 32 of the English Football Cup thanks to goals from Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandesthat unbalanced a party almost entirely dominated by men led by Erik ten Haag.

The third round of England Cup He left no surprises after the last game of the series. After five days of competition, only two Premier League clubs have bid farewell to the competition and both have been eliminated by others in the same category: Tottenham ended Burnley’s and Liverpool’s adventure at Arsenal.

Everton, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Wolverhampton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Luton have to play in tiebreaker matches, while Tottenham, Fulham, Newcastle, Brighton, Sheffield, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and, now Monday , Manchester United.

Ten Hag’s team took the oxygen in the Cup that was lacking in the Premier League. With just one League victory in the last five games, the Ko tournament became United’s last hope to bring joy to its fans in a season that looked bleak. After being eliminated from Europe, this was the only competition they chose to win a title to ease their sorrows.

Ten Hag fielded some key men like Rashford, Garnacho, Dalot, Onana, Bruno Fernandes, Evans, and McTominay. The Dutch coach did not like surprises and his players followed suit. Especially in the first half, where they performed at a good level with many opportunities to take the lead. Rashford, and especially Hojlund and Garnacho, with two shots on the post and the crossbar, respectively, came close to a goal that Dalot finally achieved thanks to a good right foot from the edge of the area.

0-1 at half-time assured United nothing. Wigan had a chance to provoke a replay of the match, but Ten Hag’s side fought off their rivals’ attacks and sealed the duel with a goal from the penalty spot by Bruno Fernandes with twelve minutes remaining. That’s where the tie ended. 0-2 is enough, without thrills. United are keeping their dream of a title on the wrong course.

— Results of the third round (32nd round):

– Monday January 8

Wigan (3) 0 – MANCHESTER UNITED (1) 2

– Thursday January 4

Crystal Palace (1) 0 – Everton (1) 0 (‘replay’ -tiebreaker- January 17)

– Friday January 5

Brentford (1) 1 – Wolverhampton (1) 1 (‘replay’)

FULHAM (1) 1 – Rotherham United (2) 0

TOTTENHAM (1) 1 – Burnley (1) 0

– Saturday January 6

Wimbledon (4) 1 – IPSWICH TOWN (2) 3

Milwall (2) 2 – LEICESTER (2) 3

COVENTRY (2) 6 – Oxford (3) 2

MAIDSTONE (6) 1 – Stevenage (3) 0

Sunderland (2) 0 – NEWCASTLE (1) 3

Stoke City (2) 2 – BRIGHTON (1) 4

Norwich (2) 1 – Bristol Rovers (3) 1 (replay)

SOUTHAMPTON (2) 4 – Walsall (4) 0

WATFORD (2) 2 – Chesterfield (5) 1

BLACKBURN ROVERS (2) 5 – Cambridge (3) 2

Gillingham (4) 0 – SHEFFIELD UNITED (1) 4

Queens Park Rangers (2) 2 – BOURNEMOUTH (1) 3

PLYMOUTH (2) 3 – Sutton United (4) 1

Newport (4) 1 – Eastleigh (5) 1 (replay)

Hull (2) 1 – Birmingham (2) 1 (replay)

Middlesbrough (2) 0 – ASTON VILLA (1) 1

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (2) 4 – Cardiff (2) 0

SWANSEA (2) 2 – Morecambe (4) 0

CHELSEA (1) 4 – Preston North End (2) 0

– Sunday January 7

Luton Town (1) 0 – Bolton Wanderers (3) 0 (replay)

Shrewsbury Town (3) 0 – WREXHAM (4) 1

West Ham (1) 1 – Bristol (2) 1 (‘replay’)

WEST BROMWICH (2) 4 – Aldershot Town (5) 1

Peterborough United (3) 0 – LEEDS UNITED (2) 3

Nottingham Forest (1) 2 – Blackpool (3) 2 (‘replay’)

MANCHESTER CITY (1) 5 – Huddersfield Town (2) 0

Arsenal (1) 0 – LIVERPOOL (1) 2

– In parenthesis, club category.

— Qualified for fourth round: Manchester United (1), Fulham (1), Tottenham (1), Ipswich Town (2), Leicester (2), Coventry (2), Maidstone (6), Newcastle (1) , Brighton (1), Southampton (2), Watford (2), Blackburn (2), Sheffield United (1), Bournemouth (1), Plymouth (2), Aston Villa (1), Sheffield Wednesday (2), Swansea (2). ) and Chelsea (1), Wrexham (4), West Bromwich (2), Leeds United (2), Manchester City (1) and Liverpool (1).

— Replay (tiebreaker): Brentford-Wolverhampton, Crystal Palace-Everton, Norwich-Bristol Rovers, Newport-Eastleigh, Hull-Birmingham, Nottingham Forest-Blackpool, Luton-Bolton and West Ham-Bristol