Manchester United booked their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a come-from-behind victory over West Ham United on Wednesday night.
FA Cup
Result: Manchester United 1-3 West Ham United
Date: 01 March 2023
Venue: Old Trafford
Man United rotated the squad from their Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle United, as the likes of Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez were reserved while Luke Shaw was not in the squad altogether.
The Red Devils were quick off the blocks, as fresh legs in the line-up, Scott McTominay and Alejandro Garnacho had early chances and made goalkeeper Alphonse Areola sweat with two good saves.
After absorbing the pressure in the early stages of the game, West Ham started threatening midway into the first stanza as Tomas Soucek came close to breaking the deadlock with a header from a corner that hit the side-netting.
The game opened up in the latter phase of the first stanza, with the Hammers finishing strongly and putting United under pressure but neither side could get clear-cut opportunities and had to come up with different strategies in the second stanza.
The sides were fired up early in the second stanza, with end to end attacks and David Moyes' troops eventually went ahead nine minutes in after Said Benrahma showed composure and was clinical in the box with a strike into the top corner after a cut-back by Emerson.
To try to rescue the game, Erik ten Hag brought on Rashford in place of Antony a couple of minutes later and the Red Devils thought they were level with 18 minutes to go after Casemiro guided a free header home at the back post from a free-kick by Bruno Fernandes but the goal was chalked off by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for offside.
Man United kept on putting the Hammers under pressure and the visitors succumbed moments later after Nayef Aguerd headed Fernandes' corner into his own net.
Ten Hag's men camped in the Hammers' half and Garnacho grabbed the winner in the last minute of regulation time with a curling shot that found the far corner from a rebound in the box.
Fred settled the nerves for Man United in stoppages with a well placed shot after he was left unmarked in the box as the Red Devils made it through to the quarter-finals.
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