Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial struck late goals as Manchester United claimed a scrappy 2-0 victory over Everton at a bitterly cold Goodison Park on Wednesday to set up a League Cup semi-final with rivals Manchester City.
United wasted numerous opportunities in the opening stages and at times the play was dire from both sides as the game appeared to be heading for penalties before Cavani collected the ball on the right wing, skipped inside onto his left foot and fired past Everton goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
Martial added a second with virtually the last kick of the game as the visitors now meet City for a place in the April 25 final, while Championship side Brentford take on Tottenham Hotspur in the other last-four clash.
“It was an excellent performance and we should have been out of sight, we had three or four great chances. We need to be more clinical,” United captain Harry Maguire said.
“We are expected to win trophies. It’s important to reach these big games but we have to start winning them and lift some trophies for this club.”
Cavani’s quality proved the difference in opening up the tight Everton defence though, with Martial’s insurance goal coming in the dying seconds as the home side pushed bodies forward in search of an equaliser.
United keep up their excellent record away from Old Trafford and are now unbeaten in 20 domestic games in all competitions, winning 18 of those.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges and put Everton under pressure with a succession of chances that were wasted, Cavani coming close twice.
Everton finally woke from their slumber as, roared on by 2,000 fans in Goodison Park, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Gylfi Sigurdsson both had efforts on goal that needed saving by United keeper Dean Henderson.
The second half had little of the spark of the first, both sides misplacing passes in the attacking third and neither keeper having a serious save to make until Olsen was picking the ball out of his net for Cavani’s opener.
Lucky escape
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has played down an off-the-ball incident involving Cavani and Everton defender Yerry Mina.
Cavani received only a verbal warning from referee Bobby Madley after shoving Mina to the ground with his hands close to the Colombian’s throat in the opening half.
No further action was taken as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is absent in the competition until the semi-finals and Solskjaer said there was “nothing in it” despite TV replays showing that Uruguayan Cavani was lucky to escape sanction.
“Two South Americans that have had a few battles before, they met in Copa America qualifiers so, no, this was a proper game of football,” Solskjaer said.
“With fans, tackles, yellow cards and chances at both ends, I enjoyed it... He (Cavani) is a top striker, the movement, the quality and the left-foot strike was excellent.”
