Manchester United vs Charlton Athletic: Five Things Learned

Manchester United dispatched of Charlton Athletic 3-0 in what was a fairly expected win against a side two divisions below them, to put them in the EFL Cup semi-final.

Multiple key men were rested ahead of the Manchester Derby on Saturday but Manchester United still flexed their muscles, with a curler from Antony and two goals off the bench by Marcus Rashford (who else?).

A mix of players were used and overall Charlton never looked to pose any threat to United. Here are five things UtdDistrict took away from the win:

1) Erik ten Hag’s work behind the scenes is showing on the pitch

The most promising aspect of this game without a doubt was how comfortable and familiar United looked tactically with a very rotated line-up.

This is not to say that the line-up was poor, but with multiple key men out, United still put together a display that we are seeing more and more regularly now, and this all comes down to the fantastic work that Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff have been doing on the training ground.

United have not looked this strong tactically in a number of years.

2) Facundo Pellistri makes his mark

Facundo Pellistri is a curious case. Signed from Peñarol in 2020, he has only ever appeared in friendlies for Manchester United. He has performed well in these friendlies, but never really had a look in with the first team. Loans have not gone successfully either.

In all this time he is still consistently picked for Uruguay, including at the World Cup, which suggests he certainly has talent. Coming off the bench tonight for his debut, he finally had the chance to showcase this talent at Old Trafford and definitely did so with a fantastic dribble and assist for Marcus Rashford’s first goal.

Throughout his cameo as a whole, he looked very positive and should be considered as a backup right-winger at least for the rest of the season.

3) Alejandro Garnacho lights up Old Trafford

Alejandro Garnacho was United’s standout player for the majority of this game. At just 18 years of ageg, he already looks so comfortable with all aspects of senior football and tonight utterly torched his opposing full-back, who will be waking up in cold sweats at 3am for a few weeks now thinking about this performance.

Right foot, left foot, creates shots for both himself and others, works tirelessly off the ball, Garnacho has it all and will be a real star in world football for years to come.

4) Marcus Rashford strikes again, again, again (x8)

In his last 8 appearances at Old Trafford, Marcus Rashford has scored in all eight games, laid on two assists and forced an own goal, whilst constantly being one of if not the most threatening player on the pitch and this sums up the form that Rashford is in right now.

Erik ten Hag is the best thing to ever happen to this man’s football career, in a matter of months he has gone from totally unrecognisable to the best form of his entire career, and it feels like this version of Rashford is here to stay.

Even with first and second in the league coming up as two of United’s next three games, with Rashford in this kind of form you really get the feeling no match is too big for him right now.

5) Casemiro is the beating heart of this team

Fans go into every Manchester United game expecting nothing but brilliance from Casemiro, and they leave every Manchester United game still in awe at just how good this man is. At 30-years-old, many turned heads at a £60 million move but he has made it look like absolute peanuts, as already he is having probably one of the best individual seasons any Manchester United midfielder has had in the last decade.

It might only have been Charlton Athletic tonight, but his impact on this team simply cannot be overstated, and his ability in possession has shone despite it being the most criticised area of his game.

Again today it shone with some absolutely fantastic passes being played, including a trivela assist behind the defence for Marcus Rashford. His presence will be vital in what is a tough run of fixtures coming up for United.