Manchester United began their defence of the Carabao Cup with a convincing 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. The hosts dominated the game from start to finish, scoring three goals in the first half and keeping a clean sheet.
United took the lead in the 21st minute, when young striker Alejandro Garnacho scored his first senior goal for the club. The 19-year-old, who joined from Atletico Madrid last year, latched onto a through ball from Hannibal Mejbri and slotted it past Sam Johnstone.
The second goal came six minutes later, when Casemiro doubled the advantage with a powerful header from a corner. The Brazilian midfielder, who scored the decisive goal in last season’s final against Newcastle, rose above the Palace defence and nodded home.
The third goal was a beauty, as Anthony Martial curled a stunning shot into the top corner from the edge of the box. The French forward, who has been struggling for form and confidence, showed his class with a sublime finish that left Johnstone helpless.
Palace offered little resistance, as United controlled the possession and tempo of the game. The visitors had only one shot on target, which was saved by Andre Onana in the second half. The former Ajax goalkeeper, who was making his debut for United after serving a doping ban, had a quiet night.
United made several changes in the second half, giving some minutes to Donny van de Beek, Rasmus Hojlund and Jonny Evans. Palace also brought on some fresh legs, including Eberechi Eze and Will Hughes, but they could not find a way past United’s defence.
The final whistle confirmed United’s place in the fourth round of the competition, where they will face either Salford City or Burnley. Palace will have to regroup and prepare for their next Premier League game, which is also against United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United manager Erik ten Hag was pleased with his team’s performance and praised Martial for his goal. He said: “It was a good game for us. We played with intensity and quality. We scored three nice goals and kept a clean sheet. I’m happy for Anthony. He has been working hard and he deserved that goal. It was a fantastic strike.”
Palace boss Roy Hodgson admitted that his side were outclassed by United and hoped for a better display on Saturday. He said: “We were beaten by a better team. They were too strong for us in every department. We didn’t create enough chances and we conceded too easily. We have to learn from this and try to improve for Saturday. It will be another tough game, but we have to show more fight and character.”
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