Manchester United delivered a dominant performance in the Carabao Cup third round, thrashing third-tier Barnsley 7-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. With standout displays from Marcus Rashford and Antony, United made light work of their opponents, advancing to the next round in emphatic fashion.
Erik ten Hag’s side, languishing in 10th place in the Premier League, looked far from troubled as they overwhelmed Barnsley, with Rashford netting twice and Antony scoring his first goal of the season.
The victory came as a much-needed morale boost for United, who had endured a shaky start to the Premier League campaign, losing two of their first four games. The League Cup match, however, saw the Red Devils back to their best. Rashford, Antony, and Alejandro Garnacho all found the net before half-time, effectively sealing the contest early. Rashford and Garnacho each added another after the break, and Christian Eriksen completed the rout with two late strikes.
United fans will be particularly buoyed by the form of Marcus Rashford, whose brace on Tuesday marked his second consecutive game on the scoresheet, following his goal in Saturday’s Premier League win over Southampton. The 26-year-old winger, who had struggled in the previous campaign, seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch, much to the delight of manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag, who had compared Rashford to a bottle of tomato ketchup after his first goal of the season, predicting a flood of goals would follow, was proven right once again. In the 16th minute, Rashford latched onto a brilliant pass from Garnacho, cut inside Barnsley’s Marc Roberts, and unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Gaga Slonina with no chance.
“It is the first time this team is playing together. Once we found our patterns we scored some great goals,” said Ten Hag after the game. “We played with a lot of speed and were ruthless. The key was the right attitude and to be 100 percent concentrated.”
Also making headlines was Brazilian winger Antony, who has faced a challenging start to the season both on and off the pitch. On Tuesday, however, he took a significant step towards redemption, converting a penalty in the 35th minute after being fouled by Slonina. It was Antony’s first goal of the season and his first start since returning to the squad. His confident finish is likely to boost his standing within the team as he seeks to revive his United career.
Alejandro Garnacho was another standout performer, contributing two goals and an assist. The young Argentine stabbed home United’s third goal just before half-time and added his second four minutes after the restart, calmly finishing from Eriksen’s well-placed pass.
Christian Eriksen then capped off the night with two late goals in quick succession, finding the back of the net in the 81st and 85th minutes to complete United’s biggest win under Ten Hag since the Dutchman’s arrival in 2022.
Despite fielding a much-changed lineup, with eight changes made from the previous match, United never looked in danger of a shock upset. Midfielder Manuel Ugarte made his first start for the club, having recently arrived from Paris Saint-Germain, and slotted seamlessly into the side.
Manchester United’s victory provided a timely reminder of their potential. With Rashford and Antony finding their form, and key players like Eriksen performing at their best, United will be looking to use this result as a springboard for further success in both domestic and European competitions.
