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United hit Tranmere for 6, City punish 10-man Fulham with 4


Bangladeshpost
Published : 27 Jan 2020 07:28 PM | Updated : 05 Sep 2020 12:47 PM

Manchester United thrashed third-tier Tranmere Rovers 6-0 on Sunday to join Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round but it failed to silence protests against the club’s owners, Reuters reports.

A muddy and bobbly Prenton Park pitch looked the perfect stage for an old-fashioned Cup shock but it was Tranmere who sank as Harry Maguire’s thunderbolt signalled a United onslaught that saw Diogo Dalot, Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones and Anthony Martial all score before the interval. Mason Greenwood added a second-half penalty meaning it was the first time since 1892 that six different players had scored in the same game for United. Tranmere knocked out Premier League Watford’s second-string side in a replay on Thursday and were fired-up for the visit of a United team missing key players and looking vulnerable.

But when Maguire advanced and belted a right-footed effort into the top corner after 10 minutes before Dalot jinked into the area to finish with aplomb three minutes later and Jesse Lingard curled home three minutes after that it was all over.

Tranmere had come back from three down against Watford to force a replay but there was no escape this time as United turned on the style on the type of surface rarely seen 

these days.

If Maguire’s strike was a rarity — it was his first of the season — then when Phil Jones looped in a header for his first goal since 2014, after Dalot and Lingard had put United in control, the visitors knew it was going to be a good day.

Anthony Martial added a fifth goal just before the break with a deflected effort and poor old Rovers keeper Scott Davies could have done nothing about any of them.

Meanwhile, Holders Manchester City romped to victory over second-tier Fulham — a task made easier as the visitors played virtually the whole game with 10 men after Tim Ream was red-carded after six minutes for conceding a penalty converted by Ilkay Gundogan.

Bernardo Silva made it 2-0 and Gabriel Jesus scored twice after the break as City reached 100 goals for the season in all competitions, the first club to do so in Europe’s top leagues.

Holders Manchester City served up an attacking masterclass as they thrashed 10-man Fulham 4-0 in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday, with Gabriel Jesus scoring twice within three second-half minutes.

Any hopes of Championship side Fulham causing an upset at the Etihad Stadium were dented in less than six minutes after captain Tim Ream received his marching orders for dragging down Jesus inside the box.

Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan converted the resulting penalty for his fifth City goal of the campaign, before Bernardo Silva made it 2-0 for the hosts.

Phil Foden slid the ball across the edge of the box to Silva, who made a sharp turn before driving the ball past Fulham keeper Marek Rodak into the bottom right corner.

City continued to carve open Fulham in the second half, with substitute Raheem Sterling striking the crossbar from close range on the hour mark.

Jesus eventually put the game to bed as he headed home a Joao Cancelo cross from the right wing.

The Brazilian striker made it four, 163 seconds later, when he pounced on a rebound after Foden’s initial attempt had forced a save from Rodak.