Manchester United exited the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage after a 4-3 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in North London last night.
Goals from Heung-min Son, Dominic Solanke (x2) and Dejan Kulusevski secured victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side, ending Ruben Amorim’s chances of a first title since his appointment.
The Red Devils did find themselves three goals down at one stage, but goals from Joshua Zirkzee, Amad Diallo and Jonny Evans made the scoreline somewhat respectable.
Undoubtedly, the loss will be frustrating, but more importantly, the manner of the defeat, looking second best for the majority of the encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Amorim handed various opportunities out to players who haven’t had the best start to the campaign, but were unable to take their chance with both hands.
United’s disappointing performers against Spurs
Victor Lindelof was replaced just before the break after picking up an injury, subsequently being replaced by eventual goalscorer Evans.
However, up until his withdrawal, he failed to make a real impression on the new boss, unable to stake his claim for a regular starting role after his rare start last night.
The Swedish international didn’t win any duels and failed to win a single tackle, losing possession three times in the process during his first half display.
Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was utilised between the sticks instead of Andre Onana, making his first appearance since the cup victory against Leicester City at the end of October.
However, he had an evening to forget in North London, conceding four, with his misjudgement leading to Son’s corner flying straight in for the host’s fourth goal of the evening, having also parried Pedro Porro’s effort for the game’s opener.
He only made two saves in the process, but was unable to swing the game in the Red Devils’ favour, contributing to their defeat, with the result perhaps having been different had Onana started the game.
Bayindir wasn’t the only player to fail to impress, as another first-team star demonstrated why he’s been a bench option for the majority of the season – potentially playing his last game for the club.
The United player who was as bad as Bayindir vs Spurs
Brazilian winger Antony has failed to demonstrate why the club were so keen to fork out £86m for his signature back in the summer of 2022, only scoring 12 goals since his big-money arrival.
However, last night Amorim handed the 24-year-old the chance to prove why he should start on a regular basis, but like Bayindir, it was an evening to forget for the attacker.
He only featured for 55 minutes before being replaced by goalscorer Diallo, but it was a deserved withdrawal after failing to make any form of positive impression on the encounter.
The “abysmal” winger, as dubbed by one content creator, only completed 87% of his attempted passes, losing possession a whopping 11 times – an average of once every five minutes he played.
Minutes played
55
Touches
33
Passes completed
13/15 (87%)
Successful dribbles
0/4 (0%)
Duels lost
10
Shots taken
1
Possession lost
11x
Antony also lost ten duels – the most of any player on the pitch – whilst failing to complete any of the four dribbles he attempted for Amorim’s side.
As a result of his dismal showing, he was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by the Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – an indication as to how poor he was throughout.
With January coming up, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the hierarchy try and offload the attacker, with The Athletic’s Carl Anka claiming it might be the “last game Antony starts for United for a while” given his lack of impact. Indeed, amid reports regarding a possible sale in the upcoming window, perhaps the Brazilian has kicked his last ball in a United shirt.
The club are undoubtedly going to lose a huge chunk of their mammoth investment, but he’s had more than enough chances to prove himself – evidently not being at the level required for success going into 2025.
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