Manchester United 2 Burnley 0
Marcus Rashford scored a superb solo effort as Manchester United moved into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Burnley at Old Trafford.
Returning to action after the World Cup – and for their first match since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure – Erik ten Hag’s men took the lead in the 27th minute through a close-range finish from Christian Eriksen, one of the various players on show that had been at the tournament in Qatar.
The advantage was then doubled by another 12 minutes into the second half when Rashford, scorer of three goals for England during the World Cup, went on a run taking the ball from his own half to the visitors’ box and drilled it into the net.
Vincent Kompany’s Championship table-topping Burnley threatened a number of times in attack – and almost benefited from some errors by United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka – but could not spring an upset.
Aside from the obvious absence of Ronaldo, following his exit by mutual agreement last month in the wake of his explosive TalkTV interview, other players who had been at the World Cup missing from United’s squad included finalists Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, and fellow centre-back Harry Maguire, who was ill.
But there were five back from Qatar – Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Eriksen, Casemiro, being utilised as a central defender, and Tyrell Malacia – included in a strong starting XI as Ten Hag made four changes from the 2-1 Premier League win at Fulham on November 13. Also, Luke Shaw, Antony and Fred were among the substitutes, and all got on in the second half.
United then grabbed the lead when Aaron Wan-Bissaka, making his first start of the season, stretched on the right to connect with Fernandes’ delivery and the resulting cross was met by Eriksen, who fired in.
Scott McTominay sent an attempt off-target shortly after the break, before inadvertently giving the ball to Benson, who skewed wide.
Rashford then produced a moment in keeping with his fine World Cup form, bursting forward with the ball from United’s half, advancing between two defenders as he got to the Burnley area and cracking a low shot beyond Peacock-Farrell.
Burnley made a decent push to hit back, with substitute Darko Churlinov shooting wide and Barnes over, both from good positions, and the latter then sending another effort wide in the final 10 minutes.
Charlton Athletic 0 Brighton 0 (Charlton win 4-3 on penalties)
Three days after Alexis Mac Allister won the World Cup with Argentina, his Brighton teammates were on the wrong end of a penalty shoot-out defeat.
The stakes may not have been quite so high, but nonetheless the Premier League Seagulls came a cropper at League One Charlton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
While Mac Allister partied in Buenos Aires, having been given a fortnight off following his heroics in Qatar, the rest of the Brighton team faced a far less appealing trip to chilly south-east London as domestic football resumed.
And when Addicks keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer saved Moises Caicedo’s penalty, Sam Lavelle hit the winning spot-kick as Charlton reached the last eight, 4-3 on penalties, after a goalless draw.
These are tough times for the Addicks, the former Premier League stalwarts now languishing 18th in League One and having appointed their fifth manager in less than two years, Dean Holden, 24 hours earlier.
They were almost behind in the opening five minutes when Lewis Dunk headed a Solly March corner narrowly wide.
Adam Lallana currently occupies the position Mac Allister plays for Argentina in this Brighton team, but that will surely change once the 23-year-old returns from his break.
However, former England international Lallana almost opened the scoring in spectacular fashion when he collected Tariq Lamptey’s square ball, turned and grazed the crossbar from 20 yards.
But Charlton had their chances in the first half too, Jack Payne cutting inside and fizzing a low shot straight at Jason Steele in the Brighton goal.
Steele then came out to bravely deny Miles Leaburn, the teenage son of former Charlton forward Carl, who was booked for his challenge on the keeper, before Dunk slid in to block Steven Sessegnon’s goalbound shot.
Roberto De Zerbi sent on another of his World Cup contingent, Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma, at the start of the second half in a bid to find some urgency.
It had an effect as Maynard-Brewer quickly had to tip Levi Colwill’s header over before March darted past a couple of challenges into the area only to prod his finish wide.
However, it remained a stalemate and Steele looked set to be the hero in the shootout, saving from George Dobson and Jes Rak-Sakyi.
But when March blazed over and Caicedo’s effort was saved, Lavelle stepped up to send the underdogs through. Earlier on in the shootout, Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson was successful with his attempt for Brighton.
Blackburn Rovers 1 Nottingham Forest 4
Nottingham Forest reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1994 with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park.
Wales international Brennan Johnson scored twice on his return to action after the World Cup, while Jesse Lingard and Taiwo Awoniyi were also on target.
Johnson fired the visitors in front when he neatly dispatched a penalty in the opening minutes after being brought down inside the box by Scott Wharton, and the Premier League outfit could have had a few more but for Rovers goalkeeper Aynsley Pears making five first-half saves.
Wharton made up for conceding the early penalty with a header to bring Blackburn level at the break.
Lingard put the away side back in front with a deflected free-kick and the visitors wrapped things up with two goals in the final 10 minutes to send Forest through to the last eight.
The visitors were awarded a spot-kick 13 minutes into the encounter as Johnson proved too quick for Wharton’s late challenge. He picked himself up and sent Pears the wrong way to put Forest 1-0 up.
Rovers made Forest pay for some missed chances and had an unlikely equaliser one minute before the break as Adam Wharton’s inswinging free-kick was glanced home by brother Scott to level matters.
Lingard restored the visitors’ advantage eight minutes after the break when he was brought down by Scott Wharton and his low free-kick found the net courtesy of a couple of deflections which wrong footed Pears.
The Reds were keen to put the game to bed but an inspired Pears was at the ready to keep out further efforts from Lingard, Awoniyi and Rob Worrall before he scrambled across his goal to claw Johnson’s header from crossing the line.
Forest finally put the tie to bed with just over 10 minutes remaining when Lingard slipped through Awoniyi to coolly finish and Johnson’s drilled effort with the last kick of the game made it four to dump the Championship side out of the competition.
