HOW ABOUT ZLAT?
Swedish striker the United hero in EFL Cup final win over Southampton
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC heralded his move to Manchester United as a “special” moment for the club after his brace helped the Red Devils lift the EFL Cup at the expense of Southampton.
The 35-year-old struck twice, including an 87th-minute matchwinning header, to secure a 3-2 win against a spirited Saints side who had come from two goals down as Manolo Gabbiadini added his own strikes to cancel out an Ibrahimovic free-kick and a Jesse Lingard effort.
Talking after the game, Ibrahimovic was asked if he senses something special happening at Old Trafford and replied: “Special? What could be more special than this trophy?” Pushed further, the former Paris St Germain striker said: “I came. That’s special.”
Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with a 30-yard free-kick before Lingard rolled in a second that appeared to have Jose Mourinho well on course for his first major trophy since his appointment in the summer.
The goals came after Gabbiadini had wrongly had an effort chalked out for offside, although the January signing had Saints level as he struck either side of half-time.
Oriel Romeu then hit the post with a header before Ibrahimovic stole the headlines with his 26th goal of the season, and he wants to keep the winning feeling going at Old Trafford – having marked his competitive debut with victory in the Community Shield.
“It is good,” he said. “It is my second trophy with the club and after seven months we have two trophies and I am happy, this is why I came, I came to win and I’m winning, it is all about bringing the club back to where it belongs and that is winning trophies.
“It says we believe in what we are doing, we keep going, training hard, we make sacrifices and we are winning. After seven months I have two trophies with this club, there are other clubs who didn’t win for 10 years.”
Ibrahimovic acknowledged Southampton had put up a fight, but that winning was all that mattered as Mourinho lifted the trophy for a record-equalling fourth time.
“It doesn’t matter, I bring the trophy home,” he replied when asked if Southampton had been the better side. “I think they did a very good game, losing 2-0 and coming back to 2-2 is not easy, we didn’t play at 100 per cent but at the end we got the winning goal and that is what counts.
“Today was all about winning and getting the trophy, people remember who lifted the trophy not the one who played the best game.”
Asked about Mourinho becoming the first United manager to win a trophy in his maiden season at the helm, Ibrahimovic added: “He is a winner.
“When you get Jose you know what you get. If you want to win, you get Jose and that is the way it works.
“The club knew what they were doing when they bring him, it is nothing new, it is something that keeps going and following him, I’m super happy for him.”