Carabao Cup 2017/18: Bristol City 2-1 Manchester United: 5 talking points

The Carabao Cup may not be the most prestigious of cup competitions but a trip to Wembley is nothing to be sniffed at. And with a star-studded quarter-finals line-up, clearly, the big clubs shared that sentiment.

In a historic encounter between two teams who had never before met in this competition, Bristol City welcomed Manchester United to the Ashton Gate Stadium. What followed was a match we won’t forget in a hurry.

Carabao Cup holders Manchester United have been knocked out by Championship side Bristol City. An injury-time winner from Korey Smith was enough to give the Robins a famous victory over Manchester United. The historic win sends them into the semi-finals of the cup where they’ll face Manchester City in a doubleheader.

Here are 5 talking points from an epic game.

#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovi?’s return to the starting line-up

Bristol City v Manchester United - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final

Upon his return to first-team football, Zlatan Ibrahimovi? did what he does best: score a goal and then raise his arms in the air. We were reminded of the trademark celebration in the 58th minute when the 36-year-old smashed a freekick down Luke Steele’s side.

And with that, Manchester United were back in the game brimming with confidence, but little did they know what Bristol City had in store for them.

Apart from that timely equalizer, Zlatan Ibrahimovi? did not contribute much to the game. The Swedish striker misplaced 6 passes, created 0 chances, was dispossessed twice and managed to direct one shot on target. If this was an audition for the 36-year-old to replace Romelu Lukaku in the starting XI, then, it didn’t go well.

#4 Luke Shaw gets precious game time

Apart from the Carabao Cup, Luke Shaw has only played 173 minutes of football, equating to 1 Premier League and 1 Champions League start. It’s fair to say the Englishman’s career has come to a standstill this season, as José Mourinho has opted to play Ashley Young at left-back ahead of him.

But in one of his few starts of the season, the 22-year-old made sure he reminded José Mourinho of his potential. As offensive-minded as ever, Luke Shaw constantly bombed down United’s left flank, ensuring width was maintained at all times.

However, it was this eagerness to get forward that often left his space exposed. Space that Josh Brownhill exploited on many an occasion. In a rare fully ninety-minute cameo, Luke Shaw won 2 aerials, made 4 tackles, made 3 clearances, intercepted 2 passes and completed 39 passes.

#3 José Mourinho fields a strong team…and loses.

If there’s one thing we know about José Mourinho, it’s the fact he takes every competition seriously. Whether it’s the Community Shield or the Champions League, the Portuguese manager always wants to win.

Despite playing against Championship opposition, José Mourinho fielded a starting XI with the world’s 2nd most expensive player, the inimitable Zlatan Ibrahimovi?, Marcus Rashford, & Anthony Martial just to name a few.

With the fight Bristol City put up, it’s no wonder the 54-year-old played such a strong team. Perhaps he anticipated their quality as the Robins are currently third in the EFL Championship. In the end, even with all that firepower, Mourinho had to resort to the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to try and salvage the game.

Instead, all those big names weren’t enough and a multi-million-pound Manchester United XI was unceremoniously dumped out of the Carabao Cup by little old Bristol City.

#2 Paul Pogba returns

Since getting a straight red card at the Emirates for stamping on Hector Bellerin, we haven’t seen Paul Pogba in domestic competitions. José Mourinho started the Frenchman as soon as his three-match ban was over and felt his services were needed at the Ashton Gate Stadium. However, the £89m-rated player didn’t have the best of games, as he struggled to shake off his rustiness.

Manchester United needed their record signing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and dictate play for them in the final third. Instead, the Frenchman cut a frustrated figure as he moped around the midfield constantly getting brushed off the ball by passionate City players.

On his return, Paul Pogba created 1 chance, made 3 tackles, completed 54 passes and was dispossessed once. Regardless of this result, United fans will be ecstatic to see their midfield engine once again available for selection.

#1 Bristol City taking tips from Pep Guardiola?

For a team that plays in the Championship, Bristol City have a set of very accomplished players. At times you would have thought you were watching Manchester City, not Bristol City.

For the opening goal of the game, Bristol City simply took the watching public's breath away. A series of one-touch passes with a few lobs alongside one around-the-world skill finished off by a world-class strike gave the Robins the lead.

Joe Bryan scored a goal he’ll never forget, as he rocketed a scorcher with his left foot past the outstretched Sergio Romero. The goal displayed Bristol at the peak of their powers and they showcased the similar quality of football throughout the game.

Throughout the match, Lee Johnson’s team matched Manchester United in possession with 407 passes, created 10 chances and attempted 11 shots on goal. They played the better football of the two teams and as a reward, Bristol City are through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Edited by Akhilesh Tirumala