And then there were four!
Four teams remain in the EFL Cup and we are due some more EFL Cup 2023 highlights before January is over, now we know the line-up for the two-legged semi-finals.
Two Uniteds, one Midland club with genuine cup pedigree and a south coast favourite remain battling it out and, despite what the SBOTOP EFL Cup 2023 betting odds may show, after these quarter-finals anything is possible.
At Old Trafford, Marcus Rashford was only on the pitch for half an hour, but that was enough time for him to fire in two late goals and send Manchester United into the last four at the expense of Charlton Athletic.
Just as the spirited League One outfit were threatening to cancel out Antony’s opener, Rashford came off the bench and scored in his sixth successive game, taking his tally for the season to 15.
In doing so he ensured that United won their eighth successive match for only the third time in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
The 2017 winners will now face another of English football’s great institutions who no doubt also crave silverware.
Nottingham Forest and Wolves met at the City Ground after mixed FA Cup weekends.
After losing to Blackpool, there was no surprise that manager Steve Cooper rang the changes as only Brazilian forward Gustavo Scarpa retained his place.
The rest had more of a feel of Forest in the Premier League as a number of regulars returned, including goalkeeper Dean Henderson, Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Wolves also rang the changes from their FA Cup game against Liverpool where they were rightly incensed by a ‘goal’ that was ruled out.
New manager Julen Lopetegui made six changes as Jose Sa, Nelson Semedo, Maximilian Kilman, Matheus Nunes and Hwang Hee-chan all came in with Joao Moutinho returning from injury.
When Wily Boly, one of two former Wolves men in the hosts’ team, reacted quickly to poke the ball over the line, Forest had the lead and more belief.
They also had on-loan United goalkeeper Henderson who superbly pushed away a Raul Jimenez effort and then denied Hee-chan from point-blank range to ensure they remained in front at the break.
The luckless Boly had to limp off early in the second half and Wolves got the equaliser their play merited just before the halfway mark of the second half as Jimenez tapped home an inviting ball from substitute and new loan arrival Cunha.
Either side could have won it as an Emmanuel Dennis shot was deflected onto the woodwork, while Matheus Nunes may have been fouled inside the box but, with no VAR, Wolves were left to feel aggrieved again.
That would have only been heightened when Forest prevailed 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out to leave the four-time League Cup winners potentially two games from Wembley.
Just like in the red half of Manchester, there’s momentum and optimism brewing in abundance on Tyneside where Newcastle United have reached their first major cup semi-final in 18 years.
An exultantly noisy, energetically black-and-white-flag-waving, crowd certainly celebrated as goals from Dan Burn and Joelinton deservedly swept Eddie Howe’s men into the final four with a convincing victory over Leicester City.
The Foxes were very much second best in their second meeting in as many weeks – Newcastle recently defeated them 3-0 in the Premier League – and look a shadow of the side which won the FA Cup 20 months ago.
The Newcastle class of 2022-23 remains in with a chance of winning the club’s first major trophy since the Fairs Cup in 1969 and that would mean the world for the Toon Army.
Down on the south coast was a tie I predicted as a League Cup mismatch. How wrong was I!
In the red corner was Southampton, rock bottom of the Premier League on 12 points from 18 games.
In the sky-blue corner, the reigning champions aiming to win the competition for the sixth time in eight seasons and the fifth time under Pep Guardiola.
The Spaniard has won the League Cup four times, making him the joint record holder alongside Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.
Southampton, who confirmed the signing of 20-year-old Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz from Racing Club for a reported £12 million fee shortly before kick-off, actually came into the match on the back of a rare win.
The Saints beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup in what was only Nathan Jones’ second victory since he succeeded Ralph Hasenhuttl.
He made five alterations to the XI with Kyle Walker-Peters, Moussa Djenepo, Ibrahima Diallo, Romeo Lavia and Sekou Mara all starting, while Croatia winger Mislav Orsic was named among the substitutes following his £6m move from Dinamo Zagreb.
England midfielder Kalvin Phillips was handed his first start for City since his arrival from Leeds United last summer, coming in for Rodri in one of four differences from the team that thrashed Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup on Sunday.
There were also starts for Joao Cancelo, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish, with Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez and Erling Haaland among the options on a strong bench.
Had City struck first, you wondered what damage could have been done to Southampton’s confidence.
Instead, they struck twice in five first-half minutes and, against the odds, never looked back.
First, Brazilian Lyanco pounced on a loose pass and delivered a cross which was classily swept home by Sekou Mara.
Then Moussa Djenepo spotted goalkeeper Stefan Ortega a few yards off his line and curled the ball inch perfectly into the net.
Two superb goals worthy of winning a cup tie and that was that.
Southampton, who haven’t won a league game since October 19, are in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
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