MANCHESTER, England: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag savored the “perfect night” after routing third-division Barnsley 7-0 in the English League Cup on Tuesday.
It was United’s biggest margin of victory under the Dutchman, who has been in charge for more than two years.
Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen all scored two goals each in the third round match at Old Trafford, with Antony also on target.
“Not for me, but for the team, this is the perfect night. I think we could do everything that we planned to do. We won, (we are in) next round, scored some great goals, entertained the fans and we worked on our game model, so we are happy,” Ten Hag said.
The size of the victory surpassed United’s previous best under Ten Hag: 4-1 wins against Real Betis and Chelsea in his first season at the club. It was the biggest since a 9-0 win over Southampton under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021.
Encouragingly for Ten Hag, Rashford’s scoring touch appears to have returned after a troubled season last year when he managed just nine goals.
Rashford’s double came after he ended a 12-game barren run with a goal against Southampton over the weekend.
“Football is football. Sometimes you have ups and sometimes downs, but we have to use these games to get momentum and consistency,” Rashford said.
Garnacho also scored in that 3-0 win in the Premier League and emulated Rashford by making it three goals in his last two games.
Eriksen struck twice late on.
Rashford blasted United in front after cutting inside Marc Roberts in the 16th minute. Antony doubled the lead when winning and then converting a penalty in the 35th.
Garnacho poked home from close range in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
United overpowered Barnsley after the break with Garnacho scoring his second when racing through on goal in the 49th. Rashford scored again in the 58th.
It was the first time Rashford has scored more than one goal in a game since February 2023.
Eriksen’s double came in the 81st and 85th.
Everton troubles
Bottom of the Premier League and without a point, Everton’s troubled campaign went from bad to worse after it was eliminated by second-to-last Southampton — losing 6-5 on penalties.
The Merseyside team had taken the lead through Abdoulaye Doucoure in the 20th at Goodison Park, but Taylor Harwood-Bellis evened the game in the 32nd.
Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy saved Ashley Young’s penalty in sudden death to seal Everton’s fate.
Eberechi Eze struck the winner as Crystal Palace beat second-division Queens Park Rangers 2-1 and Brentford survived an early scare against third-tier Leyton Orient to win 3-1.
Brandon Cooper fired Orient ahead in the 11th, but Fabio Carvalho, Mikkel Damsgaard and Christian Norgaard eased Brentford to victory.
Shootout drama
Second-division Preston secured the biggest shock of the night by beating Fulham 16-15 in an epic penalty shootout.
The game ended 1-1 at full time with Ryan Ledson putting Preston ahead in the 35th and Reiss Nelson equalizing for Fulham in the 61st.
What followed was the longest shootout in League Cup history with Preston eventually triumphing after 34 spot kicks.
After 32 penalties were successfully converted, Fulham’s Timothy Castagne missed the target and Ledson made no mistake to fire Preston into the fourth round.
It was a different story as Stoke overcame Fleetwood 2-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Sheffield Wednesday beat Blackpool 1-0.
