Manchester United breezed into the EFL Cup quarter-finals with a 5-2 win over Leicester City, as Ruud van Nistelrooy's first game in interim charge ended in victory.
Erik ten Hag was sacked on Monday with assistant Van Nistelrooy stepping into a caretaker role, with United expected to soon appoint Sporting's Ruben Amorim as their permanent boss.
Van Nistelrooy's tenure got off to an encouraging start with Casemiro's long-range finish into the top-right corner after just 15 minutes, before Alejandro Garnacho scored from Diogo Dalot's cross 13 minutes later.
Bilal El Khannouss scrambled a strike past Altay Bayindir to reduce the arrears in the 33rd minute, though Bruno Fernandes restored the hosts' two-goal advantage with a deflected free-kick effort soon after.
Casemiro then hammered home a rebound from close range just three minutes later, before Conor Coady again reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time when capitalising on a loose ball to convert.
Fernandes doubled his own tally and extended United's lead just past the hour, rounding Danny Ward to cap the rout following a poor pass backwards by Caleb Okoli.
Data Debrief: Familiar failure for Foxes
Van Nistelrooy was always expected to have the Old Trafford crowd on side, owing to his playing days at the club, and Leicester struggled to get going at a place they have struggled in recent times.
The Foxes have now lost 12 of their last 15 away games at United in all competitions (won one, drawn two), while the Red Devils have managed seven victories in their last eight home games in this competition (lost one).
It proved to be a convincing win as well, with United accumulating 2.95 expected goals (xG) to Leicester's meagre 0.99.
Amorim promises clarity on Man Utd move after Sporting's next match
Ruben Amorim vowed to clarify whether he will be joining Manchester United after Sporting CP's next game.
Amorim looks set to head to Old Trafford as United's replacement for Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is in interim charge of United, and led the Red Devils to a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
Amorim swiftly emerged as United's top target, though they have had to negotiate with Sporting over a compensation fee, while reports have also suggested the 39-year-old coach will have to serve a period of notice at the Lisbon club.
Speaking ahead of Sporting's fixture ahead of Estrela da Amadora on Friday, Amorim urged patience, as he said more clarity will be provided after that match.
"It's a negotiation between two clubs. It's never easy, even with the [release] clauses. They have to talk," he said.
"We will have clarification after the game [on Friday], it will be clear. So it's one more day and after the game tomorrow, we will have a decision made."
He added: "I know you [journalists] travelled here to talk about it and that's natural, but we'll leave that until the end of the game [when] I'll talk about all these issues.
"I promise I'll talk about it at the end of the game and everything will be clearer.
"By talking now, it's destabilising the squad further. Right now, the focus is on Estrela da Amadora. As for doing things differently, I wouldn't. I didn't control any of the situation.
"I know my players and I'm honest with you when I say that they weren't normal. I realised they were nervous and anxious about the news, with a series of tough games coming up.
"They know me so well. I've proved that I'll defend them until the last minute. But there are things I can't control. There are things we can't control. The clubs are negotiating, it's not the coach's decision."
Amorim led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in 2021, and won the Primeira Liga for a second time two seasons later.
Flawless victory: Ja's Cavalier maul Dom Rep's Moca FC 7-0 to book spot in Caribbean Cup final
Jamaica’s reigning Premier League champions Cavalier FC booked a spot in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final for a second consecutive year after they mauled Dominican Republic’s Moca FC 7-0 in a lopsided second leg semifinal tie at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
A hat-trick from Suriname's Shaquille Stein (6th, 45+3, 62nd) and a brace from Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray (1st, 51st) did most of the damage for Cavalier, while Christopher Ainsworth (39th) and Dwayne Atkinson (79th) also got in on the act.
With the win, Cavalier, who lost last year’s final to Suriname’s Robinhood, now have a shot at redemption as they await the winner of the second semi-final between Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC and Haiti’s Real Hope in the showpiece. By virtue of making the final, Cavalier also secured a return to next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
Head coach Rudolph Speid was pleased but also surprised at the margin of victory, especially after being held to a goalless stalemate in the first leg.
“It was very pleasing. We didn’t expect to win by such a large margin; however, this is our third time playing them, so they aren’t strangers to us,” Speid said.
Cavalier wasted little time to make their intentions known as Auvray found the opener shortly after kickoff when he drove home a firm left-footer from a distance.
The Jamaican team struck again before Moca could regroup as Stein expertly headed home from Jalmaro Calvin’s weighted cross five minutes later.
Ainsworth extended the lead when he converted from the penalty spot as Moca FC’s custodian Miguel Baez was left flat-footed.
Stein then notched his second and Cavalier’s fourth with another comfortable finish as they went to the break 4-0 up.
With the writing on the wall, frustration set in, and Moca lost Baez and Jesus Correa to straight red cards and, as such, contested the second half with nine players.
Cavalier showed no mercy and made full use of the numerical advantage when Auvray completed his brace with another well-struck effort from outside the 18-yard box.
Stein completed his hat-trick soon after to move his tally to seven so far in the tournament, before Atkinson added his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time.
Despite the loss, Moca FC still stand a chance of making the Champions Cup, provided they come out tops in the third-place playoff.
'I don't see myself as the best', says Yashin Trophy winner Martinez
Emiliano Martinez was humble as he accepted the Yashin Trophy for the second straight year at the Ballon d'Or awards on Monday.
Martinez, who played a key role in Aston Villa's Champions League qualification last term before helping Argentina retain the Copa America title.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper won the Yashin Award in 2023, having been integral to Argentina's 2022 World Cup success, and he kept hold of the prize dished out to the best goalkeeper at the ceremony in Paris.
"I don’t see myself as the best – there are so many good goalies I see week in, week out," Martinez said upon accepting the award.
"I only care about group titles with the national team, with Aston Villa. I focus on myself and my goalie coaches know the work I put in every day.
"For me, it's about improving myself."
Martinez and Villa have made an impressive start to the campaign. They are top of the Champions League with three wins from as many matches, and occupy fourth spot in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham.
"It's huge for me," Martinez continued.
"I always dreamed of playing one game for the national team. Coming from such a young lad to England and trying to work my way up to succeed at Aston Villa and with the national team, winning one [cap] was an honour.
"Back-to-back [Yashin Trophies] is something I never expected. I'm just proud to be here today. All thanks go to my family and friends.
"We’re doing something amazing in the club, we're moving forward. We've won back-to-back trophies with the national team and that’s all I care about."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham - Son Heung-min
Son, who missed Spurs' defeat to Crystal Palace last week, has been involved in nine goals in eight Premier League games against Villa (six goals, three assists), though all six of his goals against them have come at Villa Park. No player has scored more against an opponent without netting a home goal in the competition.
Aston Villa - Emiliano Martinez
Fresh from winning the Yashin Trophy for a second time, Martinez will no doubt be out to prove his credentials as the best in the world.
Keeping a clean sheet and helping Unai Emery's team to victory would be a good start.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Spurs have lost two of their last three league matches, but Opta's supercomputer backs them to come out on top on Sunday.
Tottenham have scored 49 goals in 23 home Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou. The only boss to hit 50 goals in 24 or fewer home games with Spurs is Antonio Conte (50 in his first 20).
Only two of Tottenham's last 71 home Premier League games have ended as a draw (W47 L22) and they are the only side without a home draw since the start of last season (W16 L7).
Just Liverpool (13) and Nottingham Forest (11) have won more away Premier League points this season than Villa (10 – W3 D1). Villa have only won as many as four of their opening five away league games in a season once before, doing so in 2020-21 (W4 L1).
Tottenham have lost three of their last four Premier League meetings with Villa, though did win the last such match 4-0 in March, so while Opta's model fancies Spurs' chances, Villa will certainly be no pushovers.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham - 49.5%
Aston Villa - 27.6%
Draw - 22.9%
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
