Manchester United, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday, and Stoke City Advance to Last 16 of League Cup
Manchester United delivered an emphatic 7-0 win over Barnsley in the League Cup on Tuesday, securing their place in the last 16. At Old Trafford, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Christian Eriksen each scored twice to lead United to a commanding victory.
Premier League teams Brentford and Crystal Palace also progressed, with Brentford defeating Leyton Orient 3-1 and Palace narrowly beating Queen’s Park Rangers 2-1.
In a dramatic turn of events, Fulham was eliminated in a record-setting 34-penalty shootout against Preston North End, losing 16-15 after a 1-1 draw. This marathon shootout set a new record for the longest in League Cup history.
Manchester United’s manager Erik Ten Hag enjoyed his biggest win since taking charge in 2022. Rashford, who had recently ended a goal drought, opened the scoring with a confident finish. Antony then added a second goal from the penalty spot. Garnacho scored twice more, while Eriksen’s late goals completed the rout. This victory marked United’s largest-ever League Cup win and Ten Hag’s biggest margin of victory to date.
Elsewhere, Everton faced elimination by Southampton in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Abdoulaye Doucoure scored for Everton, but Taylor Harwood-Bellis equalized for Southampton, who won 6-5 on penalties after a crucial save by Alex McCarthy.
Brentford initially trailed Leyton Orient but equalized with an acrobatic goal from Fabio Carvalho. Goals from Mikel Damsgaard and Christian Norgaard secured their advancement.
Crystal Palace saw Eddie Nketiah score his first goal for the club and Eberechi Eze net the winner against his former team, Queen’s Park Rangers.
In other matches, Sheffield Wednesday won 1-0 against Blackpool, and Stoke City advanced after a 2-1 victory over Fleetwood Town, secured via penalties following a 1-1 draw.
The remaining third-round ties will be concluded on Wednesday and the following week, with holders Liverpool set to face West Ham United at Anfield on September 25.
