DAVID MOYES CAN put those dancing shoes away, it is Erik ten Hag on course to do another Wembley jig of joy.
The West Ham boss joked before the game that he would emulate his opposite number by dancing on the pitch in delight, as Ten Hag did on Sunday, if he were to win the FA Cup.
That won’t be happening after a dramatic comeback by Manchester United took them into the quarter-finals and keeps their quadruple dream alive.
Behind to Said Benrahma’s 54th minute opener they were level through a Nayed Aguerd own goal on 77.
The game looked to be heading into extra time but in the 90th minute Alejandro Garnacho fired home a curling low shot and Fred made it certain deep into injury time.
The home fans may have feared they had been tempting fate when the silverware was shown off before the game.
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Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes held up the Carabao Cup, Casemiro and women’s goalkeeper Mary Earps showed off their FIFA team awards collected in Paris on Monday.
As if that wasn’t enough David de Gea was then presented with a silver glove to mark his club record 181st clean sheet achieved in that 2-0 Cup triumph on Sunday.
Now they may need some more space in the Old Trafford museum where the silverware is stored for all to see.
You wait six years for a trophy and then…
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Well there is still work to do but the momentum behind this club is mighty.
Ten Hag emphasised in his programme notes how determined the team now were to add to their Carabao Cup success, writing: “They are not happy to ease up now that they have won a trophy and they are more determined than ever to keep winning more and more.”
The United boss also said ahead of the game how much faith he had in his whole squad enabling him to make changes without the performance level dropping.
With eight games in 26 days last month and now six inside three weeks in March, he will certainly need them.
He made six changes from the side that started the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday including three of the back four.
West Ham boss David Moyes had been dealt a huge blow ahead of the game with the news that number one goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has a broken cheekbone and eye-socket.
He suffered the horror facial injury after colliding with Nottingham Forest centre-back Felipe during their 4-0 home win on Saturday.
Alphonse Areola who replaced him in the 69th minute of that game was one of four changes for the Hammers.
Danny Ings was one of those left out due to him being cup tied and it was his replacement Michail Antonio who would have the chance of the first half.
Put through by Said Benrahma in the 23rd minute he was left one-on-one on a slight angle.
David De Gea came out to narrow the angles, stretched his arms out to make himself big and blocked the shot.
That silver glove has clearly given him the taste for more clean sheets.
Former Old Trafford boss Moyes will have been satisfied with his sides work at the break.
They were hounding the home players down every time they got the ball and making it awkward for them to play it out from the back.
Ten Hag brought Casemiro into the action for Scott McTominay to change things and get more of a foothold in the game but it was West Ham who took the lead.
Those in red stopped when they thought the ball had gone out of play when Thomas Soucek tried to control it on the sideline.
It hadn’t, he released Emerson who found Benrahma and his blistering shot into the far top corner gave De Gea no chance.
The VAR checked to see if the ball had indeed stayed in play in the build up and it had.
While Ten Hag may have talked up his squad he realised he needed his first choice players now to rescue this as Lisandro Martinez and top scorer Marcus Rashford were brought into the fray.
But it was the Hammers who should have extended the lead when Antonio got through once more but De Gea came off best again.
The home side thought they had the equaliser on 72 minutes when Casemiro nodded in Bruno Fernandes free kick but the VAR ruled the Brazilian’s outstretched arm had put him offside.
They would only have to wait five minutes more as Fernandes corner into a packed six yard box was headed past his own goalkeeper by Nayef Aguerd.
Old Trafford was lifted and as the clock ticked to the 90th minute a Wout Weghorst shot rebounded to Garnacho who curled a low shot into the far bottom corner.
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Then in the last seconds Aguerd dithered on the ball, Weghorst won it and laid it back for Fred to finish.
The Manchester United fans were bouncing, they regularly are these days.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
