LONDON • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes winning the League Cup would be a “big step” in Manchester United’s development as he prepares for today’s semi-final showdown with Manchester City at Old Trafford.
United went out to Pep Guardiola’s men in the final four of the competition last season, before also losing in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Europa League.
The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League behind City and Liverpool to show for Solskjaer’s first full season in charge. United have pushed on this season in the league to find themselves level on 33 points with Liverpool at the top of the table, with a game in hand on the champions.
With United yet to win silverware since 2017, Solskjaer believes advancing to the League Cup final and winning at Wembley on April 25 would galvanise his team.
“A semi-final is a chance to get to the final, to get your hands on a trophy in the next round and for this team it would be a very, very big step getting your hands on a trophy,” he said yesterday.
“We’ve developed a lot in the last six months, last 12 months since the last semi in the Carabao (League) Cup so of course, it’s not just learning to win semis. We’ve also earned the right to feel we can go all the way with our performances. We are confident, we are going into the game with good form so there are no excuses.”
The Manchester rivals are the two most in-form teams at the moment and Kevin de Bruyne feels City are starting to click after a slow start.
“We still have another eight games in January in all competitions, it’s going to be tough, but I think we are ready for the battle (against United) and that is what matters,” said the midfielder.
Guardiola and Solskjaer will today be allowed to make five substitutions instead of three. The English Football League (EFL) announced the change – which also applies to the final – on Monday as they look to ease the burden of fixture congestion caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League voted against allowing teams to make five substitutions per match this term but the EFL said it had consulted the League Cup semi-finalists. The clubs can also name nine substitutes on the bench.
The league said yesterday that 40 individuals tested positive for Covid-19, the highest number of cases in a week this season, in two rounds of tests conducted last week. Since the new season kicked off, 171 individuals in the top flight have tested positive for the coronavirus in 19 rounds of testing.
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Record of both Manchester United and Manchester City from their last six games.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
MAN UNITED V MAN CITY
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