April could also be upon us however Manchester United nonetheless have a sizeable chunk of their marathon season left to deal with.
By defeating Fulham within the FA Cup quarter-final, United are assured to play greater than 60 aggressive video games in the identical season for simply the fifth time within the membership’s historical past. Erik ten Hag’s facet have already got this yr’s Carabao Cup of their trophy cupboard and stay in three different competitions.
The Crimson Devils will grace all three tournaments within the subsequent six matches as they wearily metal themselves for an exhausting conclusion.
Reminiscences of Brentford’s 4-0 romp towards Manchester United within the sweltering summer season warmth should still be contemporary, however their will not be many west Londoners that may clearly recall the membership’s final victory at Outdated Trafford.
Three British monarchs have been coronated and United have twice been relegated from the highest flight since Brentford’s most up-to-date triumph on the Theatre of Goals (a 3-1 win in February 1937).
Ten Hag was oddly tentative about introducing Casemiro to Manchester United’s beginning lineup after the Brazilian joined in August for a payment of as much as €70m. It wasn’t till an October assembly with Everton that Casemiro earned his first Premier League begin, giving the ball away for the opening aim however recovering to in the end arrange Cristiano Ronaldo for the winner.
Casemiro has scarcely been absent from a teamsheet since however the 31-year-old will miss Everton’s journey to Outdated Trafford as he serves the ultimate sport of his suspension. Casemiro’s crafty and physicality will certainly be missed towards Sean Dyche’s battling outfit.
Sevilla someway discover themselves within the remaining eight of Europe’s secondary membership competitors with out profitable a single sport outdoors of Spain this season. The Europa League specialists dropped into their favorite match after ending third in a Champions League group containing Manchester Metropolis, Borussia Dortmund and Copenhagen regardless of profitable only one match – at dwelling to the Danish giants.
The Seville outfit have managed to sneak previous PSV Eindhoven and Fenerbahce primarily based solely on the energy of their first-leg end in Spain, shedding each away ties. It will likely be a troublesome activity for Sevilla to get something at Outdated Trafford, a floor at which United are unbeaten since September.
Manchester United had not performed Nottingham Forest within the twenty first century earlier than the present marketing campaign. Nonetheless, the 2 golf equipment met thrice within the area of 36 days on both facet of the brand new yr.
United comfortably gained all three matches by an combination rating of 8-0. The final time the Crimson Devils performed a league sport on the Metropolis Floor, Forest misplaced 8-1. Steve Cooper’s facet are unlikely to be on the tip of one other mauling of such magnitude, however the odds of a win seem slim.
Since Manchester United have been drawn towards Sevilla within the Europa League quarter-finals, the struggling Spanish outfit have parted firm with supervisor Jorge Sampaoli.
The skilled Jose Luis Mendilibar gained his first match answerable for Sevilla, beating Cadiz 2-0 as his chief activity is avoiding relegation – a feat he couldn’t obtain with both of his earlier two golf equipment, Eibar and Alaves. The forthright Basque coach has solely ever overseen two matches in European competitors; bowing out to CFR Cluj within the second spherical of the Intertoto Cup whereas on the helm of Athletic Membership in 2005.
Brighton are aiming to succeed in their first FA Cup remaining since assembly Manchester United within the 1983 showpiece. The sport was degree at 2-2 when Gordon Smith was offered with an excellent likelihood to win the cup for Brighton within the dying seconds, solely to take a heavy contact in an unguarded penalty field and dribble his effort into Gary Bailey’s chest.
Ten Hag’s facet can hardly afford to present the present Brighton classic any possibilities of such high quality once they meet at Wembley within the impending semi-final given the riotous type of Roberto De Zerbi’s free-scoring outfit.
