Manchester United booked their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over West Ham United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
After falling behind to Said Benrahma's 54th-minute opener, United were given a helping hand in their efforts to get back into the contest, drawing level through an own-goal from Hammers defender Nayef Aguerd. Alejandro Garnacho then netted a brilliant effort to put Erik ten Hag's side 2-1 up in the final minute of regulation time, ahead of Fred making sure of the win once and for all in stoppage-time.
United's reward for staging a brilliant comeback against the Hammers is a last-eight showdown at home to fellow Premier League side Fulham later this month. The Reds have been at home in every round of the FA Cup so far this season, seeing off Everton (3-1) and Reading (3-1) prior to beating West Ham by the same scoreline.
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As a result of being pitted up against Fulham in the draw that was made just minutes after the conclusion of Wednesday night's victory, United equalled Aston Villa's top-flight record of being drawn at home in ten consecutive domestic cup matches. Villa were given ten successive home cup ties between 2013 and 2015.
Ten Hag's side, who will resume their Premier League campaign when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, have now matched that record, last playing away from Old Trafford in a Carabao Cup or FA Cup tie - excluding their two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final showdown with Nottingham Forest in January - back in March 2021. They were beaten 3-1 by Leicester City at the quarter-final stage in the FA Cup on that occasion.
It is claimed that the odds of such a pattern happening are a staggering 1,024/1. Surprisingly, however, it is not the longest run of its kind, with League One side Shrewsbury Town the record holders, after playing 11 successive domestic cup matches on their own patch between 2017 and 2019.
Now that the Carabao Cup, which United won by beating Newcastle United 2-0 in the final at Wembley last weekend, is done and dusted for another year, and that the FA Cup semi-finals are staged at Wembley, the Reds will have to wait until next season to see if they can equal and possibly break Shrewsbury's record. The next domestic draw that United will be in, excluding the FA Cup semi-final draw, should they beat Fulham, will be next season's Carabao Cup third-round draw, where they will begin the defence of their crown.
United's ten-game domestic cup run at Old Trafford in full:
- United 0-1 West Ham - Carabao Cup third-round - September 22, 2021
- United 1-0 Aston Villa - FA Cup third-round - January 10, 2022
- United 1-1 Middlesbrough - FA Cup fourth-round - February 4, 2022
- United 4-2 Aston Villa - Carabao Cup third-round - November 10, 2022
- United 2-0 Burnley - Carabao Cup fourth-round - December 21, 2022
- United 3-1 Everton - FA Cup third-round - January 6, 2023
- United 3-0 Charlton Athletic - Carabao Cup quarter-finals - January 10, 2023
- United 3-1 Reading - FA Cup fourth-round - January 28, 2023
- United 3-1 West Ham - FA Cup fifth-round - March 1, 2023
- United vs Fulham - FA Cup - TBC
As a side note, United are also still competing in the Europa League this season and face Real Betis in the first-leg of their last-16 showdown at Old Trafford next Thursday. Should they continue their European adventure and make it through the quarter-finals and reach the semi-finals, they will end the campaign having played 34 matches at home in all competitions.
That would be a record in the Premier League era. No club in the top-flight of English football has played as many home games in a single season since Stoke City (34) in the 1971/72 campaign.
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