Alexis Sanchez shines on debut as Manchester United dispatch Yeovil Town
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ByEurosport
Updated 26/01/2018 at 22:35 GMT
FA Cup Fourth Round, Huish Park - Yeovil Town 0 Manchester United 4 (Rashford 41', Herrera 61', Lingard 89', Lukaku 90+3')
Manchester United’s Alexis Sanchez celebrates their second goal with Scott McTominay
Image credit: Reuters
Alexis Sanchez created two goals on his Manchester United debut as he helped his new side to a comfortable 4-0 victory over League Two strugglers Yeovil Town to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Chilean international, who signed from Arsenal earlier this week, started in a changed United side and played a key part in the visitors’ opening goal on the 41st minute when he slipped through Rashford who poked home after a mistake in the Yeovil defence.
There are 63 league places separating the sides, but it was the League Two club that had created the better chances in the first half with both Jordan Green and Omar Sowunmi going close to giving the minnows a fairytale goal.
It was much more straightforward for United after the restart and they put the game beyond their opponents just past the hour mark when they countered from Yeovil’s corner, with Sanchez releasing Ander Herrera who finished with a powerful shot.
Jesse Lingard came off the bench and added a third in injury-time with a splendid strike – his 12th goal of the season - before fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku completed the rout with a goal in the dying seconds.
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Jesse Lingard celebrates his goal against Yeovil
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT
New-boy Sanchez stars for United: The Chilean started on the left in a 4-3-3 formation but he could have been found anywhere across the front-line as he constantly demanded possession. He was always trying to make things happen, even if he did give the ball away more often than usual. United supporters have been craving for a class-act to take the No 7 shirt and now they have their man. These are exciting times for United.
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Manchester United’s Alexis Sanchez in action with Yeovil Town’s Lewis Wing and Jared Bird
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Alexis Sanchez (Manchester United): The 29-year-old certainly wasn’t at his best, but he did enough to create two goals and was United’s most attacking threat. He loved playing intricate passes into the feet of Rashford and he will relish the thought of linking up with Lukaku in the near future.
PLAYER RATINGS
Yeovil: Krysiak 7, N Smith 6, Bird 6, Wing 6, Gray 6, Dickson 7, Zoko 6, Surridge 6, Green 6, Sowunmi 6, James 5. Subs: C Smith 5, Browne 5.
Manchester United: Romero 6, Darmian 6, Lindelof 6, Rojo 6, Shaw 7, Carrick 7, Herrera 8, Mata 7, McTominay 7, Sanchez 8, Rashford 7. Subs: Gomes N/A, Lingard 7, Lukaku 7.
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hester United - Huish Park, Yeovil, Britain - January 26, 2018 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford scores their first goal
Image credit: Reuters
KEY MOMENTS
PRE-MATCH: SANCHEZ STARTS! Yes, the 29-year-old will be unleashed against the League Two strugglers! United fans will be delighted, but spare a thought for Yeovil manager Darren Way...
8’ - YEOVIL CHANCE! Three years ago, he was stacking shelves in a supermarket but now Green almost opens the scoring against Manchester United! His first touch is beautiful, he shows terrific pace to create an opening as he bursts into the penalty box but his angled shot is parried by Romero.
15’ – YEOVIL SHOULD SCORE! The home side have two giant central defenders forward to contest a free-kick delivery... Gray swings the cross in, picks out Sowunmi who is left unmarked but he heads straight into the arms of Romero. McTominay seemed to be playing everyone onside but United get away with it.
24’ - CHANCE FOR UNITED! Sanchez cuts in from the left and feeds McTominay with a perfect weighted pass. The youngster fires an early low shot at goal from the edge of the box, forcing Krysiak into a low, smart stop to his left.
41’ - GOAL! Yeovil 0-1 Manchester United (Rashford): Sanchez feeds the ball into the feet of Rashford. He loses the ball but James hesitates with his clearance, and with Krysiak off his line, the young England international nips in between defender and goalkeeper, poking the ball into the net. It's only his third goal in 22 appearances... Rashford really needed that.
61’ - GOAL! Yeovil 0-2 Manchester United (Herrera): He scored the last time these sides met back in 2015 and now Herrera is back on the scoresheet! The goal stems from Yeovil's corner which United cleared. Mata held it up, fed Sanchez who bursts forward and slips through Herrera, leaving the Spaniard with a relatively straightforward finish. A quality goal.
90’ - GOAL! Yeovil 0-3 Manchester United (Lingard): Lingard scores his 12th goal of the season - and what a finish. He surges forward, but has little support. So he opts to shoot himself and brilliantly finds the bottom corner from 15 yards out.
90’ +3 - GOAL! Yeovil 0-4 Manchester United (Lukaku): Lukaku completes the rout with his 18th of the season in the dying seconds, tapping into an empty net after Rojo squared a lovely ball across the face of goal.
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Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their first goal with Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera
Image credit: Reuters
MATCH STATS
- Jesse Lingard has scored 12 goals for Manchester United in all competitions this term; one more than he did in the previous two seasons combined (11).
- Alexis Sanchez has been directly involved in 15 goals in 15 appearances in the FA Cup (eight goals and seven assists).
- Marcus Rashford is the fourth different Manchester United player to score 10 or more goals in all competitions in 2017/18 (with Lukaku, Lingard and Martial); Manchester City are the only Premier League team with as many (also four).
- Manchester United have won their four previous meetings with Yeovil Town, all in the FA Cup, by an aggregate score of 17-0.
- Yeovil have lost 10 consecutive FA Cup games against top-flight sides, failing to score in eight of them.
- Manchester United are on an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions, winning their last five games without conceding.
- United have also won six of their last seven away league games, drawing the other.
- Manchester United have progressed in each of their last 17 FA Cup ties as a top-flight side against teams from the fourth tier or lower.
- This was Jose Mourinho's 100th game in charge of Manchester United - his record is: P100, W61, D23, L15.
- Ander Herrera made his 150th appearance for Manchester United.
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