Yeovil Town vs Manchester United. The FA Cup Fourth Round.
Huish ParkAttendance9,195.
Saturday 27 January 2018 12:57, UK
Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku gave Manchester United a 4-0 win at Yeovil in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday night as Alexis Sanchez made his debut.
Yeovil asked questions early on, but United were gifted a lead just before half-time as Rashford capitalised on a defensive mix-up in the hosts' penalty area to turn home with ease (41).
Herrera made it 2-0 in the second half, finding the far corner from the left of the box after being fed by Sanchez, who was heavily involved at Huish Park and lasted 71 minutes.
Two late goals wrapped it up for the visitors through Lingard's fine solo strike (89) and Lukaku's close-range finish (90+3). The draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup will be made on Monday evening.
Yeovil started on the front foot and were nearly ahead early on through Jordan Green, but Sergio Romero beat away his left-footed effort from an angle 12 yards out, while Omar Sowunmi headed straight at Romero unmarked in the box from a free-kick.
Scott McTominay saw a low effort turned away by Artur Krysiak, but the Polish goalkeeper was then involved in a defensive mix-up as United were gifted a 41st-minute lead.
After Sanchez's through ball ran through to the goalkeeper as Tom James looked to usher Rashford out, both Yeovil players left the ball for each other and invited the England forward to swoop in to poke into the net.
Rashford slipped an effort just wide after the break, before Juan Mata's deep delivery hit the crossbar, but United were 2-0 up just after the hour mark through Herrera, who clinically found the bottom right corner after Sanchez had found him on the left of the box from a swift break.
Sanchez was brought off with around 20 minutes remaining, and the Chilean can feel he contributed heavily to the United win, constantly wanting the ball and registering an assist despite several false-starts from the new signing in the first half.
Krysiak denied Rashford a second late on with a fine blocked save with his feet from six yards, while 17-year-old Angel Gomes nearly scored instantly after coming on, hitting the side-netting after a mazy run.
It was 3-0 in the 89th minute through another sub Lingard, who found the bottom left corner brilliantly from 15 yards on the right after a solo run into the box, and Lukaku scored the fourth from close range, tapping home from Marcos Rojo's cross as Yeovil left men upfield.
This was not a stellar performance by United, nor Sanchez by any means, but the Chilean gave a good insight into his mentality when things are not always going according to plan.
He misplaced several passes in the first half, but like many great players, acted like nothing had happened and constantly demanded the ball in tight spaces.
He was rewarded with an unselfish assist in the second half, and looked much-improved after the break, finding United's front men with those cute, trademark reverse balls into the box. A decent start, and just about worthy of the man-of-the-match award.
Man Utd now go to Tottenham on Wednesday evening, before hosting Huddersfield on Saturday in the Premier League. Yeovil host Grimsby on Tuesday, and then Cambridge Utd at Huish Park next Saturday.
