United Beyond Manchester

A 4-3 loss to Tottenham ended Manchester United’s pursuit of the Carabao Cup. The frantic, mistake-riddled game left much to be desired, and several players stood out for the wrong reasons. See who struggled and who impressed in the painful loss.

Starting Eleven

Altay Bayindir: 3 – Bayindir’s save on the first Tottenham goal was simply not good enough. While the ball took a slight deflection, the Turkish goalkeeper put the ball into a dangerous spot, and Solanke finished for Spurs. Things only got worse from there, and his time at United will likely come to a close within the next year.

Victor Lindelof: 5 – Lindelof was forced off just before halftime due to an injury. The Swede had three clearances and a shot blocked before being withdrawn.

Leny Yoro: 7 – Yoro adds an element of speed to the United backline that no one else brings. The 19-year-old was excellent in cleaning up at the back and showed his strength and intelligence multiple times in 1-on-1 matchups.

Lisandro Martinez: 3 – Martinez struggled, and his poor clearance that fell to Kulusevski provided Spurs a gift to start the second half. He read the play completely wrong on Dominic Solanke’s second, playing the striker onside and allowing him space to shoot.

Noussair Mazraoui: 5 – Mazraoui struggled as the right-wing-back after playing primarily as a right-center-back under Ruben Amorim. The Moroccan completed five tackles but lost possession nineteen times in his 90 minutes.

Manuel Ugarte: 7 – Ugarte had a dominant day alongside Eriksen in the midfield. He controlled the match’s tempo in the midfield while also completing seven tackles and three interceptions.

Christian Eriksen: 6 – Eriksen had a solid first half, showcasing his passing range and nearly scoring. Ugarte covered the Dane’s defensive shortcomings, allowing him the freedom to attack.

Diogo Dalot: 6 – Dalot was satisfactory on the left, contributing with four key passes and creating one big chance. Unfortunately, he was unable to provide a decisive moment and lost the ball a total of fifteen times.

Bruno Fernandes: 7 – Fernandes was energized by the introduction of the substitutes in the second half. His pressing led to Zirkzee’s goal, and he displayed determination as the captain after going three-nil down.

Antony: 5 – Antony struggled to impact the game. He was unable to create from the attacking midfield role and was not a threat to the Tottenham backline.

Rasmus Hojlund: 4 – Hojlund’s inconsistent play in attack is why United are targeting another striker for next summer. The Dane struggled against Radu Dragusin and was replaced by Zirkzee.

Substitutes

Jonny Evans: 6 – The goals scored after Evans came on were hardly his fault, and he was decent defensively. His goal late on provided a fleeting glimmer of hope before the final whistle.

Joshua Zirkzee: 6 – Zirkzee scored after an impressive press forced Fraser Forster into an error. He seems to be enjoying playing for Ruben Amorim, making the next two transfer windows intriguing.

Amad Diallo: 8 – Amad is the embodiment of what every Manchester United player should be: passionate, hardworking, and ridiculously talented. Even down 3-0, the Ivorian came on and created a spark, scoring off of sheer determination.

Kobbie Mainoo: 6 – Mainoo came on in the second half after playing a big part in the Manchester Derby. He was simply okay, though the way he helped energize the team after coming on helps his rating.

Alejandro Garnacho: 5 – While other subs made a bigger impact, Garnacho failed to leave his mark. However, his inclusion in the matchday squad is a positive development after his benching in the Manchester Derby.

Man of the Match: Amad Diallo