On Thursday, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United came from a goal deficit to register a 3-1 win against West Ham at the FA Cup. With this win, the Red Devils have progressed to the quarter-finals, where they will play against Premier League opponents Fulham.
Earlier on Sunday, the victory against Newcastle handed ten Hag’s side their first tournament win since 2017 (at the Carabao Cup) but the manager’s immediate advice to his players was “get back to work.”
After Said Benrahma gave David Moyes’ West Ham a well-earned lead at Old Trafford, United appeared to be in a spot of bother.
But NayefAguerd’s 77th-minute own goal sparked an impressive turnaround, with teenager Garnacho’s superb 90th-minute effort followed by a stoppage-time strike by Fred in a 3-1 triumph. Their quarter-final will take place on the weekend of March 18 and 19.
There was a sense of relief among the delighted celebrations as Ten Hag’s men progressed from the fifth-round tie despite a shaky performance, keeping their hopes of a quadruple alive.
“I see today another step,” manager Ten Hag said of Garnacho. “I tell him before the game ‘it’s getting time you had an impact when you come on, but now you need to have impact as a starter’.
“I think he is capable of it so that is the next step he needs to take. “That [fearlessness] is one of his skills. But definitely, it is a great skill when you are fearless, when you are brave.
“He is one of the players that I think has a skill that is so specific.”There are not so many players in world football who can take players on, who are capable of just going at players and out-dribble them. “But he has more skill than only that, for example, finishing.”I see he also has a big engine. He is fast and has speed, but he can keep running for 90 minutes or 120 minutes.” United started brightly as Antony missed an effort before West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola – set for a prolonged spell as starter due to Lukasz Fabianski’s fractured cheekbone – denied Garnacho.
Moyes’ men stepped up after that shaky start and had a great chance to open the scoring midway through the first half. Benrahma fizzed a ball between Maguire and Victor Lindelof to put Michail Antonio through on goal, but De Gea spread himself well and blocked the returning striker’s shot with a strong right arm.
Tomas Soucek went close from the resulting corner. Benrahma was pulling the strings and teed up Emerson Palmieri to fizz over a tantalising cross, with De Gea then denying Antonio.