Erik ten Hag's Man United put in a fine display to beat Burnley and go through to the League Cup quarter-finals.
Erik ten Hag says he was pleased with Manchester United’s EFL Cup win against Burnley on Wednesday night but insists that there is still room for improvement.
Denmark midfield maestro Christian Eriksen broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark with a fine first-time finish as right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka provided the assist (his first since May 2021).
12 minutes into the second half, United doubled their lead through Marcus Rashford, who wasted no time readjusting to domestic football and finding the net with a fine solo goal. The two goals were enough for the homeside to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition, and, after the win over Vincent Kompany’s Clarets, Ten Hag said told Sky Sports: "It was difficult to get the press but we did and we need to take more benefit from that. There is still room for improvement but I am pleased with the win.
"The players are hungry after the World Cup break and it was great to see a team goal (for the first)."
On Rashford’s performance, the Dutchman said: "He was great. I think he was a constant threat and playing on the backline and was dangerous with his dribbling and movement. He runs so much. Eventually, you get the benefit." Asked when his other World Cup stars will return, he said: "In Argentina, the celebrations are still going on so we will see. The Premier League is ready for the restart and we will be ready for that."
Ten Hag once again refused to put a timescale on Jadon Sancho's return as the England winger continues to train alone. It was reported weeks ago that the 22-year-old was training in the Netherlands with coaches recommended by the United boss in a bid to rediscover this form.
However, when quizzed if there was any update on Sancho's return, he replied with a firm: "No."
The Red Devils' last piece of silverware was the Europa League back in 2017 under Jose Mourinho, so they've gone five years without a trophy, however, the United fans are hoping Ten Hag can end the drought by lifting the EFL Cup.
When the boss was asked about his EFL Cup ambitions, he replied: "We will have to see the draw but we want to win every game. We will prepare well for every game."
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