United win again under Solskjaer
Norwegian equals Busby’s record start, while Wood scores late Burnley winner
Alexis Sanchez was resting up in the Manchester United dugout moments after getting substituted when he got a tap on the arm. It was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, telling him to get out of the manager’s seat and find another. There’s no doubt who’s the boss inside Old Trafford these days.
And there were no problems for Solskjaer’s United as the interim coach collected a record-tying fifth straight win to start his tenure when his team beat second-tier Reading 2-0 in their FA Cup third round tie yesterday. The other four victories came in the league.
Juan Mata, from the penalty spot, and Romelu Lukaku scored the firsthalf goals for United, allowing Solskjaer to join the great Matt Busby (in 1946) as the only United managers to win their first five games. The Norwegian is in charge until the end of the season after replacing the fired Jose Mourinho last month, but has stated he wants the job on a full-time basis.
This was hardly a convincing win by United — Reading wasted a slew of chances at Old Trafford — and Solskjaer put down the underwhelming performance to selecting a makeshift line-up, albeit one filled with international players.
“It was always going be difficult with my team selection,” Solskjaer said. “I made it hard for the players, to be fair on them, because it’s a team that’s never played together.”
Chris Wood continued his good recent scoring form by netting a decisive 92nd-minute penalty in Burnley’s 1-0 win over Barnsley. The All White was one of six starters dropped for the Cup tie against third-tier Barnsley but got off the bench with 15 minutes remaining to score his third goal in three weeks and sixth of the season.
The 27-year-old, who last week celebrated his 100th goal in English league football, has now scored in the FA Cup third round for four teams: West Bromwich, Brighton, Leicester and Burnley.
Cup holders Chelsea and record 13-time winners Arsenal were among the other Premier League teams to progress to the last 32.
Cesc Fabregas waved to all corners of Stamford Bridge, patted the badge on his Chelsea jersey, and was hugged by teammates David Luiz and Eden Hazard as he was substituted near the end of their 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest. He was back on the pitch after the final whistle and this time he sobbed in front of Chelsea’s applauding fans.
It was an emotional afternoon for Fabregas, who likely played his last game for Chelsea — and in English football — ahead of a reported move to Monaco. He couldn’t mark the occasion with a goal — he had a penalty saved in the 30th minute after a stuttered run-up.
It was left to fellow Spaniard Alvaro Morata to score in the 49th and 59th minutes, with the striker set up both times by crosses from 20-year-old winger Callum HudsonOdoi.
For a brief time, there was a danger Arsenal’s tie at third-tier Blackpool might be delayed, even postponed, because their bus was unable to set off from the team hotel. A Blackpool fan climbed on to the roof and sat down in protest at the conduct of his club’s owners but was persuaded to come down after a lengthy stand-off.
Joe Willock will be glad the game went ahead. The 19-year-old Arsenal forward netted twice at Bloomfield Road, with Alex Iwobi scoring Arsenal’s other goal in a 3-0 win.
In the two surprises of the third round so far, Premier League strugglers Huddersfield and Cardiff lost 1-0 to second-tier Bristol City and third-tier Gillingham respectively.
The result won’t have helped the mood of Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock, who was unhappy at missing out on signing Nathaniel Clyne after the right back sealed a move to Bournemouth from Liverpool on Friday.
“They’ve promised me he’s my player this week,” Warnock said of Liverpool and Clyne. “For me, it’s a disgrace. It’s just a lack of class.”
Clyne made his debut for Bournemouth against Brighton but was on the losing side, 3-1.
Everton won at home to fourth-tier Lincoln 2-1 thanks to goals by Ademola Lookman and Bernard. Marko Arnautovic and his first-half replacement, Andy Carroll, scored for West Ham in a win over second-tier Birmingham 2-0, and Crystal Palace beat fourth-tier Grimsby 1-0 through Jordan Ayew’s 86th-minute goal.
There will be at least two replays, after Newcastle drew with secondtier Blackburn 1-1 and Southampton were held at second-tier Derby 2-2.