LONDON: Manchester United fielded a defense boasting only two first team appearances but still proved too good for Premier League rivals Newcastle United with a 2-1 win in the League Cup third round at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
Holders Liverpool also rang the changes and came from behind at West Bromwich Albion to win 2-1 thanks to two goals from Nuri Sahin.
Tottenham Hotspur beat Carlisle 3-0 and their north London rivals Arsenal strutted into the last 16 with a 6-1 drubbing of third tier Coventry City United made 11 changes from the team that started against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday with Wayne Rooney returning after injuring his leg four weeks ago and midfielder Darren Fletcher making his first start for 10 months.
With a string of defensive injuries, manager Alex Ferguson turned to youth with Alex Buttner, Marnick Vermijl, Scott Wootton and Will Keane tasked with keeping the Newcastle forward at bay.
It is 40 years since the north-east club last won at Old Trafford and their chances of causing an upset were reduced when midfielder Anderson broke the deadlock with a spectacular left-foot strike from 25 meters just before halftime.
The Brazilian has struggled to force his way into the first team reckoning this season but was a driving force as United took the game by the scruff of the neck.
The hosts made their superiority tell in the second half when midfielder Tom Cleverley, who missed a gilt-edged chance before the interval, doubled the lead with a precise right-foot strike from the edge of the area.
Newcastle hit back when substitute Pappiss Cisse headed home from close-range for his first goal of the season and he went close to leveling when he volleyed an overhead kick against the crossbar.
“Newcastle had a stronger team than us physically. We played fantastic football and I think we deserved it,” United manager Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports.
“Anderson’s was a great strike. The second is a great bit of football. Cisse is a terrific player. Our defense handled it well.” Liverpool also fielded a completely different team and fell behind on three minutes when West Brom’s Gabriel Tamas finished from close range after a mistake from the visitors’ stand-in keeper Brad Jones.
Playmaker Sahin, on loan from Real Madrid, levelled with a speculative shot from distance and struck again late in the second half when he converted Oussama Assaidi’s cross at the back post.
Forward Jerome Sinclair became the club’s youngest ever player at 16 years and six days when he came on as a second half substitute.
“It’s congratulations to Jerome Sinclair. Our future is bright with the young players. The style and definition of our game is improving all the time,” said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers whose name was sung Liverpool fans at the final whistle.
“It’s great to see the kids playing with confidence. We fully deserved the win. For me it’s about talent irrespective of age. We’ve got a small squad. It’s a club where young players are going to get a chance.” Arsenal named a strong attacking line-up with Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Olivier Giroud all starting.
Giroud, who joined from Montpellier in June, enjoyed a mixed night, scoring his first goal for the club with a neat finish to before failing to find the net with a penalty.
It proved to be academic as Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arshavin, Walcott (2) and Ignasi Miquel completed the rout.
For Tottenham there was no place in the starting line-up for France keeper Hugo Lloris, signed for 12 million-pound ($19.4 million) from Olympique Lyon, as third-choice Carlo Cudicini was preferred in goal.
Tottenham took the lead against their third tier opponents when Gylfi Sigurdsson’s cross was headed home by defender Jan Vertonghen.
Andros Townsend added a second with a run from the halfway line and a low shot into the net and Sigurdsson rounded off the scoring with a header.
Reading came from 2-1 down to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-2 in an all-Premier League match and Norwich City won 1-0 at home to Doncaster.
Chelsea will host Manchester United in the League Cup after the two clubs were drawn to play each other in the fourth round.
Ties will be played on the week commencing Oct. 29.
League Cup fourth round draw:
Sunderland vs. Middlesbrough
Swindon Town vs. Aston Villa
Wigan Athletic vs. Bradford
Leeds United vs. Southampton
Norwich City vs. Tottenham
Hotspur
Liverpool vs. Swansea City
Chelsea vs. Manchester United
Reading vs. Arsenal
Youthful United too good for Newcastle as Reds sink Brom
Youthful United too good for Newcastle as Reds sink Brom
Neto treble fires Chelsea’s FA Cup rout of Hull
- It was an emotional evening for Blues boss Rosenior
KINGSTON UPON HULL: Chelsea eased into the FA Cup fifth round as Pedro Neto’s hat-trick inspired a 4-0 win at Hull on Liam Rosenior’s return to the club that sacked him two years ago.
Rosenior’s side took the lead through Neto’s superb first-half strike before the Portugal forward netted again after the break.
Estevao Willian scored Chelsea’s third and Neto completed his treble to wrap up the fourth round rout at the MKM Stadium.
It was an emotional evening for Blues boss Rosenior as he faced the club that ruthlessly severed their long relationship with him in 2024.
Rosenior supported Hull as a child alongside his season-ticket holding grandmother, played for the club across five years and managed them for two seasons.
He was sacked after narrowly failing to reach the Championship play-offs amid criticism of his team’s conservative tactics.
Despite the painful end to his time at Hull, the 41-year-old said it was an “amazing thing” to return to Humberside and he took full advantage of the chance to show his old club what they had missed out on.
“This club means a lot not just to me but also my family for many reasons,” Rosenior said.
“I do hope they make the Premier League this year, but because of our attitude and application, that is what gave us the platform to win tonight.”
Rosenior has made an impressive start at Chelsea since arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca in January, winning eight out of his first 11 matches in all competitions.
He made seven changes, with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro among those to miss out, but Chelsea were still too strong for the Championship promotion chasers.
“Pedro Neto has been outstanding, he works so hard and has so much quality. I’m delighted to see him get the goals,” Rosenior said.
“The most pleasing aspect was the mentality. It was a really strong performance in terms of the mental application you need to be successful. Everyone worked really hard for each other.”
Chelsea dominated possession to such an extent that it was little surprise when they finally made the breakthrough in the 40th minute.
Liam Delap teed up Neto and he whipped a superb finish into the corner from 20 yards.
Andrey Santos’ towering header was pushed over by Dillon Phillips after the interval and, from the resulting corner, Chelsea doubled their lead in the 51st minute.
Neto’s inswinger caught Phillips flat-footed at the near post, bouncing through his legs without a touch from either team.
Chelsea had blown a two-goal advantage in their 2-2 draw with Leeds in the Premier League on Tuesday.
But there was no chance of a repeat and Estevao grabbed their third with a composed finish from 12 yards in the 59th minute.
Neto made it four in the 71st minute, caressing a low finish past Phillips from Delap’s lay-off.
Wrexham beat fellow Championship side Ipswich 1-0 in Friday’s other fourth round tie.
The Welsh club, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, are into the last 16 for the first time since 1996-97.
