Preston defeat Fulham 16-15 in historic 34-penalty League Cup shootout

Man United, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City reach last 16 of League Cup

LONDON:

Manchester United secured a dominant 7-0 victory over third-tier Barnsley on Tuesday, progressing to the last 16 of the League Cup. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Christian Eriksen each scored twice as United cruised to victory at Old Trafford.

Premier League sides Brentford and Crystal Palace also advanced, with Brentford defeating Leyton Orient 3-1 and Palace edging past Queen’s Park Rangers 2-1.

However, Fulham suffered a shock exit, losing 16-15 in a marathon 34-penalty shootout to Preston North End after a 1-1 draw, setting a record for the longest shootout in League Cup history.

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag, who has faced a challenging tenure since taking over in 2022, enjoyed the largest win of his reign. Rashford, who broke a six-month goal drought in a recent Premier League match against Southampton, opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a confident finish. Antony added a second goal from the penalty spot in the 35th minute, and Garnacho extended the lead with a third in first-half stoppage time.

In the second half, Garnacho scored again from a Rashford pass, before assisting Rashford’s second goal to make it 5-0. Eriksen netted twice late on, first converting a Bruno Fernandes cross and then scoring from the edge of the area to seal United's biggest-ever League Cup win and the largest margin of victory under Ten Hag. United’s previous biggest wins under Ten Hag were 4-1 victories over Real Betis and Chelsea.

Reflecting on the win, Rashford acknowledged the importance of building momentum, while Ten Hag praised his team’s pace and ruthlessness, crediting their focus and attitude.

Elsewhere, Everton's struggles continued as they were eliminated by Southampton on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park. Abdoulaye Doucoure put Everton ahead, but Taylor Harwood-Bellis equalised for Southampton, who triumphed 6-5 in the shootout after Ashley Young's penalty was saved by Alex McCarthy.

Brentford, briefly behind after Brandon Cooper’s goal for Leyton Orient, responded with Fabio Carvalho’s acrobatic equaliser. Mikel Damsgaard and Christian Norgaard added goals to secure Brentford's victory.

Eddie Nketiah scored his first goal for Crystal Palace since leaving Arsenal, while Eberechi Eze netted the winner against his former club Queen’s Park Rangers, sending Palace through to the next round.

In other matches, Sheffield Wednesday secured a 1-0 win at Blackpool, while Stoke City needed penalties to overcome Fleetwood Town 2-1 after a 1-1 draw. The remaining third-round ties will be played on Wednesday and the following week, with holders Liverpool facing West Ham United at Anfield on 25th September.