The final scoreline of 4-3 Tottenham suggested Manchester United were close. They were not.
This pulsating Carabao Cup quarter-final tie swung this way and that, but with one constant. As soon as Dominic Solanke had opened the scoring on 15 minutes, Spurs were leading. And whatever freebies they gave away, they never let that lead go. They progressed, fairly. United crashed out, deservedly.
The brutal manner in which Ruben Amorim was being knocked out of a competition as Manchester United manager for the very first time was of grave concern.
United had barely landed a punch, barely even lifted a finger, and were heading for a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham just 81 days after losing by the very same margin at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag. Solanke had scored twice and Dejan Kulusevski once — Lisandro Martinez, substitute Jonny Evans and goalkeeper Altay Bayindir at fault for one each.
It was looking as though Spurs were not as much earning passage to the Carabao Cup semi-final as simply accepting the invitation the Red Devils were handing them.
But Spurs have a tendency to be very generous indeed when they want to be. 36-year-old Fraser Forster has been outstanding while filling in for the injured Guglielmo Vicario, but two total howlers from Forster got Amorim’s United back into the game at 3-2.
First, his pass to Radu Dragusin was seized upon by Bruno Fernandes, who squared for Joshua Zirkzee to tap home. Then another substitute, the Red Devils’ man of the moment Amad Diallo, chased down Forster and blocked his clearance straight into the net. Ange Postecoglou turned to his bench, horrified, and lay his head in his hands.
United deserved so little credit for how they had got here. Back in the game, in with a real chance of completing the comeback, and yet all of it thanks to Forster’s blunder.
Now United rallied. Diallo knew to take advantage, shooting at the nervy Forster whenever the opportunity presented itself. One effort from miles out was simply kicked up and away by Forster. Amorim’s side knew they were in this. Somehow.
But this proved to be a game for the goalkeeper blunder, and the next, lamentably, came from Amorim’s own. Bayindir, unmoved for Solanke’s first goal, conceded directly from a Son Heung-min corner. His protestations that he had been fouled for the goal earned him a yellow and were surely born of embarrassment. After all, who concedes directly from a corner at this level?
The answer is that United do. And despite a late and great Jonny Evans headed goal — yes, in December 2024 — Amorim’s side crashed out of the Carabao Cup. They had accepted their gifts but been second best throughout.
