When the ball dropped on to Alejandro Garnacho’s toes, there were 90 minutes played, and only one thing on the youngster’s mind. What occurred next was executed expertly: first came a touch to make space, then a look up at Alphonse Areola’s goal, followed by a sublime curled finish. Cue pandemonium, Erik ten Hag punching the air, and Alan Keegan, the stadium announcer, saying: “There will be four minutes of added time.”
This is how late Manchester United left it after Saïd Benrahma had been en route to being West Ham’s hero with a second-half peach of an opener before, haplessly, Nayef Aguerd turned into his own goal for the equaliser. After Garnacho’s strike there was more, as Fred hit an added-time third – Aguerd again at fault, failing to track him – and the manager’s face broke into even more glee.
Ten Hag hailed Garnacho, who is only 18. “I see today another step, he has had an impact when coming on but now he has to have an impact as a starter and he is capable of it,” he said. “The team showed personality and character. It was a very important, big performance in the way of mentality.”
The message from the Dutchman had been clear: the Carabao Cup triumph on Sunday was to be forgotten by footballers who should get back to work in professional fashion. His charges suggested they would via one dazzling move of high quality in which Antony backheeled to Scott McTominay and cut in from the right and smacked a pass to Wout Weghorst: he feathered off to Marcel Sabitzer and his effort caused Areola to dive to save.
This was as good as United can be – fast, skilful and direct and, as encouraging, was how an XI showing only David de Gea, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Antony and Weghorst as survivors from the weekend gelled.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is set to make an emotional return to Manchester City after the clubs were paired together in the FA Cup quarter-final draw.
Former City skipper Kompany, who won four Premier League titles and two FA Cups among his haul of trophies during his 11-year-stay with the club, will take the Clarets to the Etihad Stadium later this month.
The Championship leaders booked their showdown with the reigning English champions minutes before the draw, courtesy of a 1-0 win over League One Fleetwood.
League Two Grimsby’s reward for their shock 2-1 win at top-flight Southampton is a trip to Brighton.
Gavan Holohan’s penalty double either side of half-time produced a huge upset at St Mary’s and left them one win away from a trip to Wembley.
The Mariners, who have reached the quarter-finals for the first time since the second world war, sit in 16th place in the fourth tier, while the Seagulls lie eighth in the Premier League.
Carabao Cup winners Manchester United will entertain top-flight rivals Fulham with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
They had to come from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 at Old Trafford, three days after their Wembley victory over Newcastle.
The final tie will see Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United host second-tier counterparts Blackburn, who beat Leicester City 2-1 on Tuesday night.
FA Cup quarter-final draw in full
Manchester City v Burnley
Manchester United v Fulham
Brighton & Hove Albion v Grimsby Town
Sheffield United v Blackburn Rovers
Ties will be played on 17-19 March.
The visitors were being pummelled but began to break out occasionally, as when Lucas Paquetá slipped Michail Antonio in on the right, twice, the latter’s crosses, though, a disappointment. Weghorst’s ability to involve others with touches and passes were the opposite: each time the ball came into him the layoff was effective and could split West Ham open.
This is precisely what Aguerd’s pass did to United by bisecting Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelöf, and Antonio galloped in: De Gea advanced, spread his frame and blocked the attempt. Next the goalkeeper, whose clean sheet at Wembley was a 181st and the United record, plucked a high ball fashioned by Paquetá cleanly out of the air. At the other end Fernandes’s free-kick was nodded by Maguire to McTominay and though his swivel was smooth his connection did not beat Areola.
Goalless at the interval, Ten Hag looked at a bench featuring Casemiro and Marcus Rashford and made a move, introducing the Brazilian for McTominay, in what was an upgrading of the United engine room. Casemiro’s opening contribution was a nonchalant chip aimed for Antony and it earned a corner, but dead balls are a facet Ten Hag’s men need to improve and yet another was wasted.
Casemiro, next, skipped into an advanced area, sliding the ball to Weghorst whose scooped shot went wide. Weghorst’s mini-exhibition featured a pass to Fernandes who tapped to Sabitzer but failed to take the return ball.
It was costly as West Ham pounced: Tomas Soucek dallied with the ball on the left touchline before finding Emerson Palmieri, he relayed possession to Benrahma, and his rocket allowed De Gea no chance. After the VAR ruled Soucek had not taken it out of play, the goal stood.
Ten Hag’s reaction was to remove Antony and Lindelöf for Rashford and Lisandro Martínez. It showed the Dutchman wanted to save the tie but Pablo Fornals went close to doubling the lead when hitting a cross-shot by a crowd of colleagues and De Gea, narrowly missing the target. Then, Antonio skated past Martínez and fired a bullet the United No 1 palmed out admirably.
The Championship leaders, Burnley, needed a 90th-minute goal from Connor Roberts to edge out the 10 men of League One Fleetwood and advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 20 years.
Vincent Kompany’s side played with an extra man for more than 45 minutes after Cian Hayes was sent off in first-half stoppage time, but were in danger of being taken to extra-time by a Fleetwood side who showed why they had come into this match on the back of four straight clean sheets.
When the goal did come it was harsh on the visiting goalkeeper, Jay Lynch, who made fine saves from Halil Dervisoglu and Charlie Taylor in quick succession only to be beaten from close range as Roberts’ flick diverted Vitinho’s shot through a crowded area into the net.
It was reward for a Burnley performance that had seen them dominate possession all night and register 31 attempts at goal against a side playing in the fifth round for the first time.
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The game was breathless. Casemiro, already the best of those in red, hit a daisy-cutter Areola took care of, before Rashford, too, let fly, the home support vocal and desperate for an equaliser.
Casemiro scored with a header against Newcastle in the final but this time, when breaching the visitors this way, he was ruled (by the VAR) as offside. When next a head found the net, it was, sadly for him, Aguerd’s. “We blew it,” said David Moyes. “We ended up giving away two ridiculous goals.”
West Ham’s manager was unhappy with the marking for United’s second and third but for them next up in the cup are Fulham at Old Trafford.
