MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – Casemiro scored one goal and set up another as holders Manchester United kicked off their League Cup defence with a 3-0 home win over top flight rivals Crystal Palace in the third round yesterday.
While Erik Ten Hag’s side set aside a difficult start to the season and cruised comfortably through at Old Trafford, Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers and Luton Town were knocked out by lower-division opponents. Wolves went 2-0 up and then lost 3-2 at Championship (second tier) high-flyers Ipswich Town while Premier League newcomers Luton were beaten 1-0 at League One (third tier) side Exeter City.
Exeter held on with 10 men after Demetri Mitchell was sent off for a second yellow five minutes after scoring his 83rd minute goal.
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, without a win in the Premier League so far this season, overran League Two (fourth tier) opponents Salford City 4-0 with a second-string team.
Palace lost goalkeeper Dean Henderson, signed from United in August, after 19 minutes of his club debut when he appeared to strain his right leg after what had looked like a straightforward long kick.
He was replaced by Sam Johnstone, another graduate of the Manchester United academy, who was picking the ball out of the net two minutes later when Diogo Dalot cut back from the byline for Alejandro Garnacho to sweep in right-footed.
Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, having an excellent evening, made it 2-0 in the 27th when he rose in the box for a looping header into the far corner off Mason Mount’s swinging corner.
Anthony Martial scored the third in the 55th with his first goal of the season when he cashed in on some poor defending to run onto a Casemiro cross at the back post and fire past Johnstone.
The match was the night’s only fixture pitting two top flight clubs against each other and they will meet again in the league at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Morocco international loan signing Sofyan Amrabat made his first start for United at left back after joining from Fiorentina.
“I think it was a perfect night,” the defensive midfielder told Sky Sports television.
“I told the manager I play where you need me, even if its like a goalkeeper I play where I can help the team. Today it was left back but I had a bit of a free role.”
Jack Taylor hit the 58th minute winner for Ipswich, through to the last 16 for the first time since 2010, with a long-range strike after Freddie Ladapo equalised in the 39th and Omari Hutchinson began the fightback in the 28th.
Wolves went ahead in the fourth minute through Hwang Hee-Chan, with Toti Gomes doubling the score in the 15th.
Championship side Middlesbrough won 2-0 at League Two Bradford City and League Two Mansfield Town beat League One Peterborough United 3-1 on penalties after the game ended level at 2-2.
The league’s bottom club Sutton United lost 2-1 at League One Port Vale.
The draw for the fourth round will be after Wednesday’s matches, with 12 Premier League clubs in action and last year’s losing finalists Newcastle United hosting Premier League champions Manchester City.
