Seventh heaven for United as Rashford tucks in for duck-shoot

Antony's penalty in this evisceration means the maligned wide man needs only two more goals to equal the three last season for Manchester United.

- Jamie Jackson

The paltry tally sums up how poor he has been so, while scoring versus lowly opposition is no phoenix-from-the-flames return, it is a step on the path to rebuild his standing under Erik ten Hag. Marcus Rashford's expertly executed double can be taken as firm evidence that he is returning to his best as it follows Saturday's finish at Southampton, a first of the season.

Twenty-six years ago this was a Premier League fixture that ended 2-0 to United and gave Sir Alex Ferguson's vintage a competition aggregate 9-0 for the 1997-8 campaign. This evening, as their great rival Liverpool faced off against Milan at San Siro in a clash of Champions League aristocrats, Ten Hag's men progressed in the land's second-tier cup, dispatching Barnsley, who arrived seventh in League One and departed on the wrong end of a hiding.

The subplot before kick-off revolved around Antony, United's second-highest signing at £87m and a flop thus far, would start. Those who read Ten Hag's declaration that the Brazilian has to fight to regain a place actually as him being excluded again were wrong, as the 24-year-old lined up alongside Christian Eriksen, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford as a front quartet.