Manchester United are into the semi-finals of the League Cup for a 12th time thanks to a 4-1 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were pegged back in the first half by one of their former youth-team products, as Ashley Fletcher tucked home from close range after Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring 93 seconds in.
Anthony Martial scored twice in the second half and Ibrahimovic added another in added time, however, meaning a comfortable victory for the hosts and another setback for Slaven Bilic and his men.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the EFL Cup clash between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford. Three days after facing off in an entertaining league clash here, these two sides lock horns once again with a place in the last four of this domestic cup competition up for grabs. A draw will not do this evening, though, with extra time and penalties to come if required.
The Red Devils head into this game under a bit of pressure following their worst start to a top-flight campaign in 27 years, but their fortunes could well change over the next week with a place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup and a spot in the knockout stages of the Europa League on the line. Their league woes take a back seat for now, however, with supporters already beginning to sense another trip to Wembley three months from now.
TEAM NEWS!
MANCHESTER UNITED XI: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Shaw, Carrick, Herrera, Mkhitaryan, Rooney, Martial, Ibrahimovic
WEST HAM UNITED XI: Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Feghouli, Kouyate, Obiang, Ogbonna, Fletcher, Payet, Antonio, Fernandes
Let us start by checking out the home team, then, which shows five changes from the league meeting a few days ago. Michael Carrick is back in the fold after missing out at the weekend due to fitness concerns, taking up a place in the engine room with Paul Pogba suspended for this one. No Marouane Fellaini for tonight's clash, either, as he is also serving a one-match ban after picking up his fifth yellow of the season on Sunday.
Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial are also back in the first-team fold after being overlooked, the latter in particular proving to be a thorn in West Ham's side during their three meetings last term. The real big news as far as the Red Devils are concerned is that Henrikh Mkhitaryan and captain Wayne Rooney - seemingly cup and European specialists these days - are given another chance to impress as part of those five alterations from last time out. Rooney, remember, is on the brink of making history; one goal required to overtake Sir Bobby Charlton.
Marcus Rashford is being used regularly in the Premier League now, albeit in a wider position than he would perhaps like, so he is overlooked for inclusion this evening. Juan Mata is also only on the bench, with those two players linking up for two goals in the League Cup so far this season - the most of any duo in the competition. Certainly not a weak United side - far from it, in fact, as David de Gea retains his spot in goal, as does Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the other end of the field.
Switching attention to the visitors now, and manager Slaven Bilic has made five changes of his own to freshen things up slightly. Sofiane Feghouli is handed a starting role, while Ashley Fletcher - impressive off the bench in the league tie between the two sides - also comes in against his former club. There is a switch of keeper, too, with Adrian returning in the place of Darren Randolph, who was the best player on the field three days ago.
Among those to drop out is Diafra Sakho, who is expected to miss another six weeks of action having only recently recovered from a separate problem. Andy Carroll is "close" to making his latest first-team return, but he fails to make the squad at all this evening - Dimitri Payet, Michail Antonio and Feghouli instead favoured in a three-man attack line at Old Trafford.
There is also a return to action in the heart of defence for Winston Reid, who missed out on the first meeting due to suspension. There is no denying who the dangerman is in this side, however, as Payet heads into this one with five assists and one goal to his name this term, despite only featuring 11 times due to his Euro 2016 hangover. Antonio, meanwhile, has scored 11 headed goals this calendar year.
BENCH WATCH!
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Blind, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Lingard, Mata, Rashford
WEST HAM UNITED SUBS: Randolph, Nordtveit, Lanzini, Zaza, Noble, Collins, Masuaku
Manuel Lanzini and James Collins among those to drop down to the bench for the visitors, while there is still no first-team action for Simone Zaza who the Hammers are reportedly stuck with for the remainder of the season. In terms of the hosts' back-up options, they again have Bastian Schweinsteiger on the bench - a ploy to get him off their books in January, apparently - while Lingard, Mata and Rashford all offer attacking qualities if required.
Wayne Rooney was perhaps a little unlucky to miss out on a starting spot against West Ham United in the league meeting a few days back, as too was Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but the Englishman can write his name in Manchester United folklore this evening. Sir Bobby Charlton's 43-year record is on the brink of being wiped out, with Rooney requiring just two more goals to become the club's all-time top goalscorer on 249. It has taken him just 12 years to reach that milestone, compared to Charlton's 17 years of service.
A big evening in store for the hosts, then, who head into this game on the back of a real disappointing run of form. Despite producing arguably their best performance yet under Jose Mourinho last Thursday when seeing off Feyenoord here, it is still just the four wins in 11 overall. In the league they have made their worst start in nearly three decades, which Mourinho claims is down to bad luck more than anything.
To be fair to Mourinho, that West Ham game did have a slice of misfortune about it as the Red Devils came up against an inspired Randolph; a keeper who was not the first and will certainly not be the last to produce one his finest career displays at this theatre of football. That said, West Ham had chances of their own to steal all three points on Sunday - particularly late on when Fletcher weaved his way through on goal, only to blast straight at De Gea.
That stalemate against the Hammers made it four in a row at Old Trafford for the first time in 26 years. It also means that, despite all the - justified - negativity, the Reds Devils are actually now unbeaten in four games at this pivotal point in their campaign. Things may look bleak at the moment, but victory tonight and a positive result in Odessa next Thursday and all of a sudden United are into the semis of the EFL Cup and round-of-32 of the Europa League. Three points at Everton are a must, though, or else they could be as many as 13 points adrift in the league.
In fairness to Mourinho, who is serving a one-match touchline ban this evening after being sent to the stands on Sunday, he does tend to fare better at clubs in his sophomore year. During his second stint at Chelsea, in act, he famously stated that he was to be judged on his second year. An EFL Cup and Premier League double followed, justifying his confidence - some would say arrogance - before things quickly turned sour in the early months of year three.
In terms of United's run to the quarter-finals, they have so far overcome Northampton Town 3-1 and Manchester City 1-0 in the competition. There are now just two hurdles to come before they run out at Wembley Stadium once again, with one of Arsenal, Southampton, Hull City or Liverpool to face in a semi-final double header should they beat West Ham tonight. The early stages of this competition can often be a drag, but when making it this far it is difficult not to look ahead to a special day out at the national stadium.
Man United have lost only two of their last 24 home League Cup ties against Premier League opposition; a 2-1 reverse to Chelsea 11 years ago blemishing an otherwise perfect record over the last decade and more. It is against lower-league sides they tend to struggle against in this competition, as witnessed by defeats to Crystal Palace, MK Dons and Middlesbrough over the past four years.
DID YOU KNOW? Jose Mourinho has not lost a game in this competition since December 2013, winning eight and drawing two since then. The League Cup has proved good to him down the years, having followed up both previous triumphs in this competition with Chelsea by going on to win the Premier League crown. Manuel Pellegrini did the same a few years back, too, so lifting the first trophy of the campaign certainly sets a positive precedent.
Jose Mourinho will watch this evening's games from high up in the Old Trafford stands, having been dismissed in the 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the Premier League at the weekend. It is the third time the Portuguese has been disciplined this term, with some suggesting that he is a tad fortunate to only sit out the one game and not two. Either way, this is a huge week for his side across three different competitions.
Plenty of expectation on Man United progressing through this evening, then, while for the visitors they have also got to appease supporters following what has been an underwhelming opening few months to the campaign. Just one win from their first seven games set the tone for what was to come, though a more profitable October followed and did temporarily put thoughts of relegation to one side.
They have now gone four games without a win, but it should be mentioned that the last of those games was that 1-1 tie here on Sunday - a game that they had to ride their luck in at times, yet also one they could have snatched had they taken a late Fletcher chance. There was also the 3-2 reverse against Tottenham Hotspur prior to that, which can be seen in one of two ways: A brave, battling display which so nearly produced three points, or a bottle job at the home of their London rivals.
That has left the Irons one point above the relegation zone and, with games against Arsenal and Liverpool to come over the next 10 days, it is difficult to see them remaining afloat as we approach the festive programme. That will make their four-successive games against sides around them even more important, though it is fair to say that supporters will be happy to have the distraction of an EFL Cup semi-final to look forward to.
West Ham have also played a couple of games prior to reaching this stage; wins over Accrington Stanley - a Dimitri Payet stunner in the sixth minute of added time proving the difference in that one - and an impressive 2-1 triumph over Chelsea helping them through. The Irons were superb against the Blues last month, it must be said, becoming the only side to beat them in the last eight or nine weeks. Slightly weakened their opponents may have been, but a repeat performance tonight and there is only one winner.
West Ham are aiming to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup for the 10th time in their history, and the first time since 2013-14 when they were thrashed by Manchester City. They have won just two of their last 11 away games against Premier League opposition in this competition, though, conceding at least once in each of those matches. The omens are not exactly great, but United will still head here in high spirits.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! West Ham United had lost eight in succession against Manchester United at Old Trafford prior to last season, but they have now drawn three in a row for their best run here in nearly a century. Still just the two wins in 24 attempts, however, including 20 defeats in that time, but the Irons did win this fixture 4-0 when they last met in the League Cup - their record win over a top-flight side in the competition.
With kickoff at Old Trafford now less than 10 minutes away, let us quickly turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Ander Herrera: "It's positive that we are playing on Wednesday, when we can get revenge. We can turn our luck in the next game in the EFL Cup. It doesn't matter the competition, it doesn't matter the game, we just want to win. We want to fight for everything and we want to make our fans proud."
Slaven Bilic: "It was a great volley to be fair. He should have miskicked it - he hit it too well! I have sympathy with him because the situation with Pogba, it was a great decision from the referee but from our point of view it did not look like a dive. Many times I have seen those bottles in front of me and many times I have gone to smash them and stopped in the last second."
Man United midfielder Herrera out for "revenge" this evening, then, following on the back of that 1-1 draw here last time out. Plenty of talk of fight from the Red Devils' players, and there is no denying that they need to win tonight if they are not to completely lose the faith of supporters. Falling off the pace is one thing; exiting competitions, especially on home soil, is another. A huge week for United must begin with victory over the Irons.
Bilic was speaking specifically about Mourinho there, if you were left scratching your head. The Portuguese booted the bottle on the touchline a few days back and has been made to pay the price, but Bilic appeared to have a little sympathy for his opposite number in the wake of the incident. Was it a dive or wasn't it from Pogba? Contact clearly was not made, but was he merely anticipating the contact and getting out of the way?
For the second time in three days Manchester United and West Ham United are ready to lock horns at Old Trafford. The two sets of players have just made their way out on the field of play, greeted by around 70,000 supporters in these cold and wintry conditions. They could not be separated in that Premier League tie, yet something has to give this evening - extra time and penalties await should they be required.
KICKOFF! We are up and running at Old Trafford, where Rooney is quickly looking to get in behind the opposition defence. Adrian is quickly on the loose ball, denying the Englishman a chance to draw level with Sir Bobby Charlton.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED! 1-0 WEST HAM UNITED (ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC)
Well West Ham took the lead inside 30 seconds on Sunday - now it is the hosts who race ahead before their opponents could really get a grip on proceedings. It was a gloriously worked goal, too, as Rooney slipped it into the hole for Mkhitaryan, who simply backheeled the ball into the path of Ibrahimovic to tuck past Adrian. The Swedish ace picked up an injury and could not celebrate, so he may not be able to play any further part...
That Adrian challenge on Ibrahimovic looked innocuous enough, but replays show that the West Ham keeper clearly followed though on the Swede and probably should have been shown a red to go with the goal he conceded. Either way, Ibrahimovic has managed to shake it off for now and is OK to continue.
SAVE! Seven minutes into the game but have we just witnessed a possible turning point in the game? Ibrahimovic really should have doubled his tally, using Mkhitaryan's run as a decoy and finding himself with a clean sight of goal. Adrian kept it out well, before getting up and also blocking the follow-up attempt.
Martial with a storming run down the right flank, which Obiang appeared to halt with a sliding challenge. No contact was made, though, which referee Mike Jones did well to spot. Such a strong start made by the hosts, who really should be two to the good.
A ball over the top nearly reaches Fletcher, but it has just a little too much on it and De Gea collects. The hosts now passing the ball around a little more, slowly making their way up the field towards Mkhitaryan and Ibrahimovic - the deadly duo!
West Ham defend a corner and all of a sudden it is Feghouli and Fletcher all alone against one United defender. The former takes far too long on the ball, though, and is suddenly caught in possession by a backtracking opposition player.
YELLOW CARD! Better from the visitors as, on the back of that counter, they earn themselves a corner kick. It works against them, though, with Valencia running the ball the length of the pitch and being taken out by Obiang for a yellow card.
Rooney decides to go with one of those shot-crosses from the angled free kicks, which was heading a fair way wide of the far post. Adrian, a little shaky so far bar two top saves, was taking no risks and slapped the ball behind for a corner kick.
Martial has made an impressive start to the game, with his latest run ending with the shot over the bar. Should have done better at the end of it, but the West Ham defence being given a torrid time of things by the Frenchman.
Rooney, another of those players looking to make a point, sends in a cross which has a little too much on it for Ibrahimovic to make contact. The Irons still waiting for their first attempt of any note, while the hosts have had three shots on target.
Man United have lost the edge to their game that we saw in the opening 10 minutes or so. A quarter of the way through now, and West Ham are settling more into things but still need to offer far more in an attacking sense.
Mkhitaryan tees the ball up for Herrera to hit, which was heading for the back of the net if not for Reid's intervention. The returning defender knew little about it, but that was a big block with his head. The Red Devils stepping back on it.
Antonio with one jink too many, with the ball rolling out of play. He felt that countryman Shaw had blocked off his path out on the right, but referee Mike Jones and his assistants made the right call by waving for play to continue.
SCORE UPDATE! A quick update to bring you from the other game taking place this evening in the EFL Cup, where Arsenal are 2-0 down at home to Southampton. Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand the scorers in the first half of that one, leaving the Gunners on the brink.
Man United still seeing plenty of the ball, with West Ham offering very little in attack. Just wondering if they could live to rue those two Adrian saves from Ibrahimovic, but as things stand it is the Swedish superstar who is the difference.
SHOT! Shocking from Antonio, who passes the ball straight to Ibrahimovic in midfield. The United striker races forward, where the ball is eventually worked to Martial 15 yards out. In the end he didn't really know what he was doing, sending the weakest of efforts down the middle.
Payet this time guilty of a stray pass, which leads to another fine piece of interplay involving goalscorer Ibrahimovic. Rooney saw the goal in front of him and let leash, but it was blocked right on the edge of the 18-yard box.
The ball is quickly spread out to Antonio on the left by Feghouli, but Shaw comes out on top of that individual battle yet again. No harm in Antonio looking for some trickery to get around his man, though, as he had no teammates nearby.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 WEST HAM UNITED (ASHLEY FLETCHER)
Well, well, well! Man United have pretty much dominated things so far, but that quick-fire double miss from Ibrahimovic soon after opening the scoring has come back to haunt them. That is hardly the big talking point now, though, as former Man United ace Ashley Fletcher scored the leveller after De Gea could only fumble a fierce Payet drive.
"He's one of our own," is the sarcastic chant from West Ham fans, who taunt their rivals over Fletcher's leveller. That's followed up by a rendition of "He left 'cause you're shi*". After seeing very little from their side in the opening 35 minutes, those visiting supporters are really enjoying themselves now.
YELLOW CARD! Antonio Valencia enters the referee's book for a late challenge on Aaron Cresswell. Payet delivers another delicious ball, which on this occasion is maybe just a little too flat and is cleared away.
A short stoppage in play, as Cresswell receives some treatment on the field - Masuaku likely to replace him shortly. Martial fails to slip through Rooney when things get back up and running, leading to one or two groans around Old Trafford.
WEST HAM UNITED SUB! Cresswell is unable to run off that knock he picked up, so Masuaku is brought on for a rare outing. He has himself been absent through injury, but he must now hit the ground running with half time just 60 seconds away.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 WEST HAM UNITED
Referee Mike Jones brings the opening 45 minutes to a close, with the teams locked at a goal apiece. Manchester United had the better of things in the opening half-hour or so, creating a few chances - only one of which they took through Ibrahimovic early on. They were soon punished, as Fletcher struck in front of the Stretford End to ensure that it is all to play for.
A slow start to the contest in the reverse meeting between these two sides three days ago would ultimately cost the hosts, but they were quickest out of the blocks this time around and were ahead 33 seconds in. It was a brilliantly worked team move, too, with Wayne Rooney slipping the ball into the path of Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the hole, who in turn backheeled to Ibrahimovic to do the rest - the Armenian claiming his first assist as a United player.
The Red Devils really should have been two to the good just five minutes later, but Adrian - back in for Darren Randolph this evening - produced two top saves to thwart Ibrahimovic, having earlier caught the Swedish superstar late in the build-up to the goal. Man United continued to see more of the ball and were helped along the way by some slack West Ham passing, but a tame Anthony Martial shot from inside the box was the closest they would come to adding to their tally in the first half.
Their failure to make the most of possession in advanced areas would come back to haunt the home side 35 minutes in, when returning academy starlet Ashley Fletcher tucked home from close range in front of the Stretford End after a stinging Dimitri Payet shot was fumbled by David de Gea. That would prove to be it in terms of the first-half chances at Old Trafford, so we have plenty left to play for over the next 45 minutes or more.
West Ham have already been forced to bring on Arthur Masuaku for Aaron Cresswell late in the first half, while Daley Blind is going through an intense warm-up and is expected to come on for Luke Shaw prior to the restart of play. Here is a reminder of both sides' back-up options.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Blind, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Lingard, Mata, Rashford
WEST HAM UNITED SUBS: Randolph, Nordtveit, Lanzini, Zaza, Noble, Collins
RESTART! We are back under way at Old Trafford, where Man United do indeed join West Ham in making a change at left-back. Luke Shaw, injured late in the first half, is replaced by Daley Blind for the start of the second period.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 2-1 WEST HAM UNITED (ANTHONY MARTIAL)
Not for the first time tonight a weak Payet pass is pounced on by Man United, only this time it results in a goal. Valencia this time with the backheel into Mkhitaryan's path, allowing the Armenian to look up and find Martial who picked out the corner. Two assists for Mkhitaryan and three goals this season for Martial.
Now Man United just need to hold onto this advantage, which is easier said than done for them on home soil. Last thing Mourinho wants tonight is extra time with another two games to come in the next eight days, but he will take that route if that's what victory requires.
YELLOW CARD! Bar their goal, which in itself came out of the blue, West Ham have offered so little in an attacking sense. Rooney is booked for dissent, meaning that he will now miss the league meeting with Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Jones slips when attempting to clear the ball, but Feghouli's attempted cross back into the mixer hits Blind and then comes back off him for a goal kick. A warning there that this one is not over with just the one goal still in it.
SAVE! Martial is given a clean sight of goal, but he is denied by a strong Adrian hand. Similar to that Ibrahimovic miss in the first half, which Fletcher cancelled out, could this one come back to haunt the dominant home side?
WEST HAM UNITED SUB! West Ham have introduced Manuel Lanzini in place of Michail Antonio for the final 30 minutes or so at Old Trafford. Looks as though Bilic may be tweaking things slightly with his side looking stale.
SAVE! Rooney has looked good in the hole this evening, playing a few slick passes through. His latest one is overhit, but he is bundled off the ball just short of 30 yards from goal. Ibrahimovic sends the free kick down the middle, where Adrian is down to collect.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 3-1 WEST HAM UNITED (ANTHONY MARTIAL)
Martial simply loves scoring against the Hammers, making it four goals in as many games against tonight's visitors. It was another well-worked move, with Ibrahimovic again involved as he played the ball through two player for Valencia to latch on to. The full-back in turn picked out Martial, who had the task of sweeping home from close range.
It is shaping up to be another positive night for Man United, then, much like last week when they saw off Feyenoord here. A goal for West Ham changes things, but they have not looked like adding to that Fletcher strike around 35 minutes in.
Not quite a perfect night for the hosts just yet - a Rooney goal would see to that. Schweinsteiger also warming up at the moment, so we may see him for the first time this season before this match is out. Twenty-two minutes left to play now.
Man United clearly learning their lesson, because they are looking more stable now and do not particularly look like shipping a goal. West Ham obviously desperate for a route back into the game but they look so flat when getting forward.
Simone Zaza is about to be brought on for the Irons' final change of the night. The hosts still have a couple available to them, with Schweinsteiger an option to further close out the remaining minutes, but don't bet on that happening!
All very quiet at the moment, as Man United continue to knock the ball around at their own pace. Bilic cannot make that final change soon enough, with his team lacking any real attacking ideas all evening. Even their goal came out of nowhere.
The signs looked ominous for the visitors when the ball bounced around inside the box, but the referee had to blow his whistle because a high boot caught Rooney who is bleeding from the face. A couple of changes now being readied with a quarter of the game left.
WEST HAM UNITED SUB! Zaza is finally introduced, taking the place of an underwhelming Payet. The Frenchman did claim an assist of sorts, but his stray pass cost his side dearly for the hosts' key second of the night.
Ibrahimovic, Rooney and Mkhitaryan have been very good tonight, which has got to be down to the latter's inclusion. Not quite sure how it has taken him so long to get a couple of starts - either side of the league game a few days ago - but he has injected real quality in attack.
SCORE UPDATE! Southampton have held on to beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium, so the Gunners' November woes are clearly not quite over just yet! A good result for Man United, who will join Hull, Liverpool and the Saints in the draw for the last four.
SAVE! Adrian just about keeps his side in this contest, as he gets down low to keep out Ibrahimovic's finessed angled shot. The hosts looking more likely to add the game's fifth goal that West Ham, though.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! For the first time since March, Bastian Schweinsteiger is given a run-out for Man United! The German replaces two-goal hero Martial for the last five minutes, greeted by a superb applause from the home fans.
Not been the greatest of contests since Man United's third goal, in truth, with just the odd shot on goal since then. No complaints from the Red Devils' perspective, though, as this is exactly the type of performance that was required from them.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Schweinsteiger not a million miles away from a goal, which really would have taken the roof off this place! Marcus Rashford is now on for Mkhitaryan for these three minutes of added time at Old Trafford.
A sloppy pass lets Fernandes in, with Feghouli taking over and sending the ball into the side-netting when he perhaps should have done better . Man United very nearly over the line now, with just 60 seconds or so of this quarter-final tie left to play.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 4-1 WEST HAM UNITED (ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC)
A simple tap-in for Ibrahimovic to round off the scoring at Old Trafford - just about what the hosts deserved from their performance. Added time is officially up, so that should pretty much be that on a night to remember for Man United.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 4-1 WEST HAM UNITED
The full time whistle sounds at Old Trafford, meaning a 12th semi-final appearance in the League Cup for Manchester United to look forward to. They were by far the better team this evening and probably just about deserved their three-goal margin of victory in the end. For West Ham United, on the other hand, they must now pick themselves up ahead of games against Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Old Trafford. Before heading off be sure to check out this on-the-whistle report, while full reaction and updates from the draw - scheduled to take place in the next 10 minutes or so - will also be available shortly. Thanks for joining!
