Once the celebrations had died down at Wembley, Manchester United did something familiar to all Premier League players: they took a flight home.
United beat Newcastle 2-0 on Sunday to win the Carabao Cup and end their six-year wait for silverware. It was a momentous achievement for Erik ten Hag and his players, who are still in contention to win a further three trophies this season.
Their success means more games. And more games means greater strain – physically and mentally for the players and staff and logistically for the club. United could not dwell on their cup final win for long; they host West Ham at Old Trafford on Wednesday night in the fifth round of the FA Cup.