PREMIER LEAGUE
When was the last time Manchester United won a cup final?
Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest to reach the League Cup Final - but when did they last fight for silverware?
Seventy three minutes ticked on, as Nottingham Forest’s adrenaline turned to nerves. The ball was fed down the left to man of the hour Marcus Rashford, whose skewed shot deflected into the path of French striker, Anthony Martial, who swept it past the Forest goalkeeper. Their adrenaline turned to nerves and now it was deflation.
The second goal didn’t take long to arrive, and this time it was Brazilian midfielder Fred who got on the end of a cross that was pumped across goal. The away side’s defence had crumbled and Manchester United had made it to a cup final for the first time.
When did Manchester United last reach a cup final?
Not so long ago, it turns out. They played Spanish side Villarreal CF in the 2020/21 Europa League Final, losing after a dramatic penalty shootout that went all the way down the squad list and to the goalkeepers, with Villarreal shot-stopper Gerónimo Rulli saving De Gea’s effort to give them the title. Manchester United beat Red Star Belgrade, Granada, AC Milan and Roma to set up the final at the Stadoin Gdánsk.
When did Manchester United last win a cup final?
It was back in 2017, when, under the guidance of Portuguese manager, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United beat Peter Bosz’s Ajax (doesn’t that sentence sound like a parallel world) 2-0 to take home the European trophy. That year they also won the League Cup, beating Southampton (managed by Claude Puel) 3-2, with Ibrahimovic scoring late on to seal the tie.
Mkhitaryan and Pogba scored for Manchester United when they beat an Ajax side that included Frenkie De Jong, Donny van de Beek and Crystal Palace’s Jairo Riedewald.
In the League Cup final, as mentioned, Ibrahimovic got the winner, and it was the Swedish striker who opened the scoring before Jesse Lingard got one. For Southampton, it was Manolo Gabbiadini who brought the scoreline level with two quick goals after the break.
Now, they have the chance to win silverware again. But they will need to get past Newcastle, who, since their Saudi Arabian takeover, look like a completely new side.