Manchester United 3-0 Crystal Palace: 5 talking points as United begin Carabao Cup defence in style | Carabao Cup 2023-24
Manchester United began their defence of the Carabao Cup with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Tuesday, September 26.
Goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Casemiro had put United two goals to the good in the first half. The Red Devils added a third soon after the restart through Anthony Martial, putting the result beyond doubt. With Palace offering little threat offensively, United were able to see out the game comfortably, securing their passage through to the fourth round.
On that note, here are five key talking points from the game.
#1 Both sides rotate heavily for cup action
Manchester United and Crystal Palace put out much-changed sides for this Carabao Cup clash. Erik ten Hag made seven changes to the team that beat Burnley on Saturday evening. Mason Mount and Harry Maguire returned to the starting eleven, while Sofyan Amrabat made his first start for his new side. Goal-scorer Garnacho, Facundo Pellistri, and Anthony Martial also came into the starting lineup. The visitors were also much-altered, with debutants Dean Henderson and Rob Holding among seven alterations from their previous match.
#2 Manchester United find some much-needed positive momentum
Manchester United have made a stuttering start to the 2023-24 season, with three wins and four losses in seven games thus far. Deficiencies have been pointed out and exploited by opponents across the pitch, with events off the pitch souring the mood further. As such, this was an opportune moment for Erik ten Hag’s men to deliver their most cohesive performance of the season. Being able to welcome a couple of key players back from injury is another welcome bonus, and the United faithful would hope that their side can build on this momentum in upcoming games.
#3 Dean Henderson’s unfortunate Crystal Palace debut
After a series of promising loan spells at various clubs, Dean Henderson finally secured a permanent move away from Manchester United over the summer. The 26-year-old was handed his first Crystal Palace start by Roy Hodgson against his former side in this fixture. Unfortunately, Henderson could not stake his claim as Palace’s number one as injury curtailed his debut for the Eagles. The Englishman suffered an injury after a long punt upfield and had to be taken off early in the first half. He was replaced by Sam Johnstone, another goalkeeper who spent some time on the books at United. Hopefully Henderson’s injury is not serious, and we can see him back on the pitch sooner rather than later.
#4 Manchester United begin their Carabao Cup defence in style
Winning the Carabao Cup was an undoubted highlight of Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge at Old Trafford. The Red Devils revelled in cup competition last season, reaching both the EFL Cup and FA Cup finals.
A strong cup run will be high on the agenda this time too, with this competition representing a real chance to claim silverware. With that goal in mind, defeating Premier League opposition comfortably in the third round is surely a step in the right direction for the defending champions.
#5 United and Palace go again at the weekend
After this meeting in the Carabao Cup, these two sides face each other again just four days later in the Premier League. With an eye on Saturday’s clash at Old Trafford, this game served as excellent pre-match preparation for both teams ahead of their upcoming fixture. While the starting elevens for both teams can be expected to be much-changed, it will be interesting to see how this result affects their game plan at the weekend.