A comfortable 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic saw Manchester United cruise into the Carabao Cup semifinals, thanks in part to a pair of late goals from Marcus Rashford. By winning this quarterfinal at Old Trafford, United extended their winning streak to eight matches in all competitions. The scoring was initiated by Antony in the first half, followed by Rashford's clinical brace in the final minutes. Manager Erik Ten Hag opted for significant rotation, making eight changes to the squad and handing a starting debut to the 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo.
A late brace from Marcus Rashford helped Manchester United to seal its semifinal berth in the Carabao Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic. With a win in the quarterfinals at Old Trafford, a much-changed Manchester United made it eight consecutive wins in all competitions. Antony scored one in the first half while in-form Rashford scored two late goals in the dying minutes. Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag made eight changes in the playing squad and also handed 17-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo his debut from the start.
Making his first professional appearance, the teenage midfielder looked composed and confident, contributing several strong plays in the attacking third. While he performed admirably, the match only gave a glimpse of what Mainoo is truly capable of.
United almost scored immediately, but Diogo Dalot sent his early effort sailing over the crossbar. The breakthrough came in the 21st minute when Antony found the net with a precise curling shot. This goal was the Brazilian's fifth since arriving from Ajax and represented the first time the 22-year-old had scored in consecutive United matches.
Despite their League 1 status, Charlton—who had previously stunned Brighton—fought hard to get back into the game. Their best chance came from a Scott Fraser free-kick, which unfortunately flew straight into the arms of Tom Heaton.
Charlton remained spirited throughout the second half and continued to push for an equalizer. However, United remained the more dangerous side. While Charlton's keeper, Maynard-Brewer, made several great stops to keep the deficit at 1-0, he was powerless to stop the eventual onslaught led by Rashford.
Rashford capped off a remarkable run of form, scoring in the 90th and 94th minutes to put the game beyond doubt. With those two goals, he has now scored in six consecutive matches and eight straight games at Old Trafford, bringing his season total to 15 goals.
In a separate quarterfinal matchup, Newcastle United punched their ticket to the semifinals with a 2-0 win over Leicester City, courtesy of second-half strikes from Dan Burn and Joelinton.
The semi-final pairings will be decided once the remaining quarterfinal ties—Nottingham Forest vs. Wolves at the City Ground and Southampton vs. Manchester City at St. Mary's—are completed this Wednesday.