Football news - The Warm-Up: United win the battle, City win the war

For a side that came out of last season making a pressing case to be considered one of the greatest English sides ever assembled, this season’s version of Manchester City are a twitchy lot.

Taking a two-goal lead into last night’s Carabao Cup semi-final, City began in their accustomed style, pulling United’s defence this way and that. David de Gea made a handful of smart stops, but the goals, and another thumping derby win, were coming. And then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tweaked United’s shape a little, and all of sudden everything clammed up.

Moves broke down. Passes missed their man and went rolling sadly into touch. The crowd shifted and muttered. Nemanja Matić lent back and whipped the ball into the net at the near post, which only increased the confusion. On the touchline, Pep Guardiola grew a whole new head of hair, then tore it all out again.

All of which gave the tie an air of tension that nobody really expected. For United, this was yet another of those confusing performances where they manage to inconvenience an obviously better side. That may not quite be the overall plan — not arrogant, just inconvenient; it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue — but it’s keeping Solskjaer in his job for now.

For City, the relief at having gone through will be tempered with a little concern. They’ll be strong favourites against Villa in the final, of course. But with the title gone, it’s the Champions League that will save this season. And that’s going to involve negotiating two-legged ties against teams a lot better than United.

As if winning away at City (yes, yes, losing overall) wasn’t enough for Manchester United’s febrile fanbase, the club also announced a new signing. A real one! An actual player! Happy days. Bruno Fernandes is heading over from Sporting, and will be competing for a space in United’s midfield, and …

… well, he may not have to do much competing, to be honest. But Fred will be glad of the company. Assuming he gets through his medical and the two parties can negotiate a contract.

“Would you like to be paid a lot of money?” “Why, yes. Yes I would.” “Lovely. Sign here.”

Obviously United are more argument than football club these days, and Fernandes is the latest acquisition by an organisation whose record in the market has been … let’s say mixed, and you can mentally swap in a much ruder and more accurate word. But as a creative, goalscoring midfielder, he certainly fills a need: last night, as they chased the game against City, Solskjaer introduced first the terminally unconvincing Andreas Pereira, then the creaking bones of Juan Mata.

The big question, then, is what this means for Paul Pogba, currently adrift in post-surgery limbo. Are they supposed to play together, or is one arriving to replace the other? The Warm-Up’s only guessing, but we reckon United are hoping for the former, but secretly know, deep down, planning for the latter.

While it’s almost a national tradition for English League Cups to have a slightly confusing sponsor, the Continental League Cup really does take this to new heights. You’re supposed to think “Ah, Continental, I’ll pop out and buy some tires immediately.” But your brain actually says “Oh hey, women’s football has decided to expand the League Cup into a trans-European stramash, that sounds fun.”

And then disappointment follows.

Anyway, the Warm-Up doesn’t know if any other club has ever been knocked out of two League Cups on the same evening, but Casey Stoney’s Manchester United joined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United in mutual elimination. Chelsea may have been lacking Sam Kerr and Ji So-yun, but the rest of the squad managed to squeak past United 1-0.

That sets up a final against Arsenal, who dispatched holders Manchester City 2-1. A final that will be laced with delicious revengeful narrative, given that Chelsea tonked the Gunners 4-1 the last time the two sides met. The two sides, along with City, are locked together at the top of the Super League. But while we all wait for that, let’s enjoy Arsenal breaking new ground in the goal reaction video game:

You know a player’s been around for a while when they’re both technically retro and still playing now.

Christine Sinclair made her debut for Canada in the year 2000, aged 16, announcing herself with three goals in the Algarve Cup. Last night, she scored her 184th and 185th goals for her country, taking her past the USA’s Abby Wambach to become international football’s all-time leading goalscorer. That’s 20 solid years of kicking balls into nets. Some going.

Here’s Jack Lang, formerly of this parish and now at the Athletic, delivering your introduction to Bruno Fernandes (£). Anecdotes from childhood, tales of overcoming adversity, getting called a lazy waster by Antonio di Natale: it’s all here.

Not much going on today: a sprinkling of Copa del Rey here, a soupcon of Coupe de France there. Give yourself a day off.