Manchester United steamrolled Championship side Reading to waltz into the fourth round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney opened the scoring in the 7th minute – equalling Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 249 club goals in the process – before Anthony Martial’s precise finished doubled the lead.
Marcus Rashford’s double late in the game sealed the result in United’s favour.
Here are the talking points from a one-sided affair at Old Trafford:
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#1 Result reflects the difference in class
Manchester United were always favourites going into this tie, but even they could not have expected this to be a walk in the park against a side flying high in the Championship and managed by former United defender Jaap Stam. Jose Mourinho’s side dominated pretty much the entire game, picking out passes in midfield at will and constantly cutting open Reading’s defence.
The stats say it all – 27 shots on goal against a team managed by one of United’s fine Premier League defenders is quite an ironical reading. Reading never looked like making a comeback even at 2-0 down as the back four of Young, Smalling, Rojo and Blind closed out any possible gaps for them to exploit.
It was a professional display which completely reflected the difference in class and United’s recently excellent run of form.
#2 Ali Al-Habsi’s horrible mistake sums up Reading’s afternoon
Having already conceded thrice, the last thing Reading needed was an individual blunder to rub more salt into their wounds. Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi was the culprit on this occasion, as he fluffed a clearance by slicing the ball with his standing leg.
The ball fell in the path of teenager Marcus Rashford, who had the easiest task in the world to smash the ball from a couple of yards out into an empty net and complete the rout.
Replays showed that there was no bad bounce of the ball as it approached Al-Habsi, so the Reading shot-stopper could have no excuses for a nightmarish error.
#3 Anthony Martial finding his feet again
Following a struggling start to the season, 21-year old forward Anthony Martial seems to have found his form on the left wing with his dancing feet and pace on the ball.
With the competition for places growing with every passing game, this cup tie was a platform on which it was necessary for Martial to unleash his skills which made him a massive success at Old Trafford last season.
The ease with which he slalomed past two Reading defenders to set Juan Mata up for the assist to Rooney’s goal was a sign that he was back in business. He followed that up with a crisp finish to make it 2-0 to United within 15 minutes and put his side firmly in control of proceedings. He has a pivotal role to play in improving United’s chance creation – they had 27 shots in total, including 18 in the first half – from the bylines.
#4 Should Schweinsteiger start against Hull City?
With the result beyond doubt, the focus shifted to the bench, as Bastian Schweinsteiger was given a run-out by Jose Mourinho for the final 12 minutes of the game. His performance was unspectacularly efficient, knocking the ball around in midfield and completing a couple of dribbles to run the clock down and maintain United’s big lead.
If anything, he may just have proved his fitness to the management and in the process warranted a starting place in Tuesday’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg clash against struggling Premier League side Hull City.
With Morgan Schneiderlin set to head for the Old Trafford exit door, Schweinsteiger must definitely be in Mourinho’s first team plans sooner than later as the games keep coming thick and fast for United.
#5 Rojo’s injury a cause for concern at the back
Of late, the centre-half partnership between Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo has been reaping the right rewards for Jose Mourinho’s side, who came into the fixture on the back of 6 straight wins in the Premier League.
However, Marcos Rojo’s muscle injury in the 19th minute meant that he had to be taken off and replaced by Jones alongside Chris Smalling at centre-back. With Eric Bailly already unavailable due to African Cup of Nations’ duty, Rojo’s absence will be a major blow to Manchester United as far as defensive options are concerned.
Daley Blind is a possible option to provide cover at the back, while youngsters like Timothy Fosu-Mensah are likely to be considered for selection should fatigue become a factor.
