Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest to reach EFL Cup final

Goals from Anthony Martial and Fred secured Manchester United’s spot in the final of the EFL Cup.

Manchester United and Newcastle United will battle for the EFL Cup trophy when both teams clash in the final game at Wembley Stadium on February 26.

Both teams defeated their respective semifinal opponents over two legs to book a spot and stand the chance of winning the first trophy of the season.

Newcastle United sealed their final ticket when they saw off Southampton on Tuesday with a 3-1 aggregate scoreline. The first leg at Saint Mary’s Stadium was a 1-0 win for the Magpies, while the second leg was a cagey one, although Sean Longstaff’s first-half brace was enough for a 2-1 win on the night.

Meanwhile, Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United made the second leg at Old Trafford a mere formality after a 3-0 win at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest in the first leg.

The second leg wasn’t straightforward as it was a stalemate up until the 73rd minute when the second-half substitute Anthony Martial opened the scoring. Fred doubled the advantage two minutes later to seal the win with a 5-0 scoreline on aggregate.

Manchester United and Newcastle are necks on neck in the Premier League, level on points with 39 points each from 20 matches, and the latter above in third position.

While Manchester United’s last title was in the UEFA Europa League when they defeated Ajax in 2017, Newcastle United’s last final was in 1999 in the FA Cup when they were beaten by Manchester United.

Before the final on February 26, Manchester United will face four different Premier League fixtures and two UEFA Europa League games against Barcelona.

Newcastle, on their own path, will have three Premier League fixtures to navigate West ham, Bournemouth, and Liverpool.

Liverpool was the last winner of the EFL Cup after beating Chelsea to the title.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu