Ruud van Nistelrooy says he "couldn't ask for more" from Manchester United as they marked his first match in interim charge with a 5-2 victory over Leicester City.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes both scored twice, while Alejandro Garnacho was also on target as the Red Devils booked their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, where they will play Tottenham.

Van Nistelrooy was overseeing United in their first match since Erik ten Hag's dismissal on Monday, with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim expected to be announced as the latter's replacement.

"Credit to the players, they were fantastic today. I couldn't ask for more," he said.

"Against West Ham and Fenerbahce, we created so much and couldn't finish. All of a sudden, we had some luck on our side, and that made it a great night.

"It is always the target to react and attack. The reaction of the players after the Leicester goals was excellent, and they deserve credit. I am glad the crowd will go home happy."

Van Nistelrooy acknowledged he had mixed emotions at taking over the reins from Ten Hag, who brought the former United striker back to Old Trafford as his assistant coach in July.

However, he underlined the importance of concentrating on the job in hand, and ensuring his players were ready for Wednesday's tie.

"It is clear that this is going to be short term, so for me, today was the most important day after what happened," he added. "Of course, receiving the players and getting together for the first day after Erik had to leave was a sad day to share.

"He was the one that asked me to work back here again, and in the first conversation we had, I felt such a passion and care for this football club. That is why I was so sad to see him go.

"Having said that, football and life continue, and we knew that 75,000 people would be waiting for us here today, with millions more watching at home behind their screens and radios. You have to switch then as players.

"We tried to switch that button for the players, try to get the mindset going, and go out tonight and give everything for the fans."

On his own future at United, he continued: "I am here to help, to serve and give my everything for the club. That will never change."

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.

Bruno Fernandes is "perfectly aware" Manchester United are not ready for a Premier League title challenge but has defended his under-fire team-mate Casemiro after Sunday's loss to Liverpool.

United entered the first international break of the season 14th in the table with just three points, suffering back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool.

A Luis Diaz brace and a Mohamed Salah strike condemned United to another embarrassing defeat at the hands of their old rivals, as Ten Hag became the first Red Devils manager to lose three home Premier League games by three or more goals within the space of a year.

United were also beaten 3-0 by Manchester City last October and fell to the same scoreline versus Bournemouth two months later.

Ten Hag is also the only United boss to ever start multiple Premier League seasons with two defeats from his first three games, with the Red Devils doing so three times in the last five campaigns overall (also 2020-21 and 2022-23).

Fernandes is under no illusions regarding the chasm that separates United from their rivals at present, telling DAZN in Portugal: "Yes, I am perfectly aware that this Manchester United is not ready to win the Premier League.

"We are fighting with the concrete and real objective of trying to finish in the top four, in the places that give access to the Champions League. 

"But there is still a lot to improve for the greater objective, and for my dream, which is to one day win this championship."

Casemiro was criticised after Sunday's match, having been replaced by 20-year-old Toby Collyer at half-time after making mistakes in the build-up to both of Diaz's goals.

The Brazilian lost possession 14 times in just 45 minutes on the field. Noussair Mazraoui (17) and Diogo Dalot (16) were the only United players to do so more often, with both playing the full 90.

Fernandes, however, has leapt to the defence of his midfield partner, saying: "Casemiro is more experienced than me, he played for the two best clubs in the world in terms of media coverage. He has a lot of quality. 

"Mistakes are going to happen to everyone. We just have to be more cautious when they are about to happen and compensate and correct them in time.

"We have to be more alert when we lose the ball, feel and smell the danger and be more objective. 

"Whenever we have opportunities, we have to score more goals. We have attacking quality, but few goals."

Manchester United may soon lose patience with manager Erik ten Hag after another humbling by Liverpool, Red Devils' great Gary Neville said on Sunday.

Former defender Neville believes the Dutchman may only have until Christmas at Old Trafford to turn around what has been another disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United were crushed 3-0 at home to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah scored one and assisted both goals of Luis Diaz's first-half brace on the red side of Manchester.

Ten Hag is the only United manager to lose three Premier League home games by three or more goals in the space of a year, also suffering 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in October and Bournemouth in December last year.

"It's going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"But I think he will get until Christmas. There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive, who has got a sense of calm about him – the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.

"Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can't be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there's no doubt about that."

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher rebuffed, responding "I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season", and if results continue this way, United's hand may be forced with Ten Hag.

The former Ajax boss is also the only United manager to lose two of the three opening matches in a Premier League season on two separate occasions.

"It was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they're on the right path," Neville continued.

"He's been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he's brought two new coaches in. That isn't always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There's a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.

"We're seeing that today and it's not going to change quickly. It's a sobering day but one that requires some calm."

Casemiro was removed at half-time, having played a woeful pass in the build-up to Diaz's opener amid a torrid first half.

Despite his early exit, the Brazil midfielder lost possession 14 times, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui only doing so more often for United (16 each) and both playing the full game.

"Manchester United fans don't often boo," Neville added on the jeers for Ten Hag, Casemiro and under-fire Marcus Rashford. "They don't often boo the manager, they don't often boo substitutions, they don't often boo players individually. And there's been a couple of times today [where they have].

"They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they're losing 2-0. But ordinarily, they don't take out individuals and a couple of times today they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo."

Manchester United may soon lose patience with manager Erik ten Hag after another humbling by Liverpool, Red Devils' great Gary Neville said on Sunday.

Former defender Neville believes the Dutchman may only have until Christmas at Old Trafford to turn around what has been another disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United were crushed 3-0 at home to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah scored one and assisted both goals of Luis Diaz's first-half brace on the red side of Manchester.

Ten Hag is the only United manager to lose three Premier League home games by three or more goals in the space of a year, also suffering 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in October and Bournemouth in December last year.

"It's going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"But I think he will get until Christmas. There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive, who has got a sense of calm about him – the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.

"Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can't be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there's no doubt about that."

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher rebuffed, responding "I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season", and if results continue this way, United's hand may be forced with Ten Hag.

The former Ajax boss is also the only United manager to lose two of the three opening matches in a Premier League season on two separate occasions.

"It was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they're on the right path," Neville continued.

"He's been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he's brought two new coaches in. That isn't always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There's a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.

"We're seeing that today and it's not going to change quickly. It's a sobering day but one that requires some calm."

Casemiro was removed at half-time, having played a woeful pass in the build-up to Diaz's opener amid a torrid first half.

Despite his early exit, the Brazil midfielder lost possession 14 times, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui only doing so more often for United (16 each) and both playing the full game.

"Manchester United fans don't often boo," Neville added on the jeers for Ten Hag, Casemiro and under-fire Marcus Rashford. "They don't often boo the manager, they don't often boo substitutions, they don't often boo players individually. And there's been a couple of times today [where they have].

"They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they're losing 2-0. But ordinarily, they don't take out individuals and a couple of times today they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo."

Erik ten Hag hinted that Casemiro could stay at Manchester United this season if he is prepared to be a team player.

There was speculation at the start of the transfer window that the Brazilian could be on his way out of Old Trafford, with some Saudi Pro League clubs interested in his signature.

However, those offers look to have dried up after he struggled in his second Premier League campaign, at times having to be deployed as an emergency centre-back due to injuries.

He was also dropped for the FA Cup final win; he was initially named on the bench but was later taken off the team sheet with United saying he was injured.

Though Ten Hag seems to have contradicted that notion of the club, he praised Casemiro's leadership qualities, hinting that he could be set for a third year in Manchester.

"You have to make choices – what was needed for that particular game [the FA Cup final]," he said in an interview with The Guardian.  "But he is a very important player.

"He is a leader, and he can make a difference for our team. No one can play every game. It's impossible.

"All the players who are here, if they want to play for us, want to play for the bench, and they have the quality, then I hope they keep contributing to our team. We have seen that Casemiro in his career is so successful."

Casemiro has played in all of United's pre-season friendlies so far, managing 61 minutes against Real Betis in San Diego on Wednesday.

He scored the Red Devils' third goal in that game, but also had the most touches (67) and completed the most accurate passes (48/78) of anyone on the team.

Casemiro has hit back at the "disrespectful" critics over comments made about his recent Manchester United performances.

The Red Devils have come under pressure for a poor run of form in recent weeks, with Casemiro one of the players singled out, in particular for his performance in the 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

Casemiro enjoyed a successful first campaign with United, finishing third and lifting the EFL Cup, but the club are currently in danger of suffering their lowest-ever Premier League finish in eighth place.

"I was considered one of the best signings of the Premier League last season, and now I'm not worth anything anymore?" Casemiro told Sky Sports.

"The criticism is disrespectful. So, when it's lacking respect, then it's worrying, and I don't have to respect that either."

Casemiro was also recently left out of Dorival Junior’s Brazil squad for this year’s Copa America.

United finish their Premier League season away at Brighton on Sunday before facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25.

Casemiro insists "age is not an issue" and the midfielder is feeling optimistic about the future at Manchester United.

The Brazil international and his team-mates have endured a frustrating season at Old Trafford, with the club in danger of suffering their lowest Premier League finish in eighth place.

Casemiro enjoyed a successful first campaign with the Red Devils, who he helped to a third-place finish and victory in the Carabao Cup.

However, injuries have prevented the 32-year-old from building on that momentum this term, with critics suggesting his age is preventing him from coping with the physical demands of the English top flight.

But the former Real Madrid midfielder rubbished those suggestions, highlighting notable examples of players shining in their mid to late 30s.

"I feel very well, very well," he told Sky Sports. "I feel healthy, with energy and the same mentality I always had.

"I guess people end up talking about the age factor, but it's been proven. Recently, our friend Thiago Silva - at the age of 39, came here and showed that, yes, you can play. The previous Ballon d'Or winners were over 34.

"At Manchester City, there's Kevin De Bruyne. (Mo) Salah at Liverpool. I think age is not an issue, it is not a factor in this, but analysing one's game and knowing about everything that is happening around the game.

"These are people who analyse football well, who see what's happening, who know what's happening, and not analyse the age.

"But I'm well, I'm happy. As I usually say, Manchester United gave me what I wanted - this joy of being able to enjoy the game, enjoy the Premier League. So, I'm happy to be here."

United conclude their Premier League season away to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, before facing rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25.

Casemiro believes the vast number of injuries have played a crucial factor in the Red Devils' struggles this term.

"It's been a season of a lot of sacrifices for all of us, with the injuries and players adapting," he added. "So, it's been very hard for us.

"The manager came to ask me [to play at centre-half], and I told him I'm always available. That's the way I am; trying to help, committing to the team and to the coaching staff. So, when he asked me, I didn’t even hesitate.

"I think we had over 60 or 70 injuries. I've never seen this in my life. 

"It is hard to think about winning a Premier League when you have so many injuries to important players, players that you think will be able to play throughout the season, and you can't count on them."

Brazil coach Dorival Junior announced his 23-man squad for the upcoming Copa America, with Casemiro one of the big names missing out on a place.

The Manchester United midfielder, who has 75 caps for Brazil, has struggled in a difficult season and was omitted from the squad along with Tottenham forward Richarlison, Selecao’s top-scorer at the 2022 World Cup.

17-year-old Endrick, who is due to join Real Madrid in July, is in the squad after scoring two goals in four appearances since his debut for Brazil last year.

He became the youngest male player to score an international goal at Wembley when he netted the winner against England in March.

While announcing the squad, Dorival Junior explained the reason for Casemiro’s exclusion.

He said: "He deserves every respect from us all. I had a chat with him in Manchester about three months ago. I explained what I thought about his moment, his team, and what I needed.

"It doesn't mean that because he's not coming this time, that he is or will be ruled out, in the future in any sense.

"He knows very well what I think about him, and that's the main thing. Tomorrow, I'll make contact with Casemiro calmly, naturally putting forward what I believe could happen in the future, not least because he's a player who deserves consideration, affection, respect and that we continue to believe in a player of this calibre." 

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, United winger Antony and Matheus Cunha, who plays for Wolves, are other notable absentees.

Top-scorer Neymar is also not included as he continues his recovery from a knee ligament injury he sustained playing for Brazil last October.

Asked how Brazil would cope without their star striker, Dorival Junior was quick to praise Endrick but insisted that he did not want to put pressure on any one player.

"Endrick played a starring role in a great achievement for his club a few months ago, he played very well in the national team's friendlies, he's maintained his level, and he can still improve a lot. I hope that happens with him here. That he feels more and more comfortable," said Dorival Junior.

"In general, I think we need multiple protagonists and not just a single protagonist. I believe that the division of responsibilities will make our team grow and improve even more.

"It's important to have players of this calibre together. In the near future, God willing, we'll also have the presence of Neymar.

"But until then, we have to make sure, within the squad itself, that everyone's responsibilities are recognised and, above all, that everyone is integrated and doing their best so that the division of responsibilities reduces this obligation to always have a single protagonist at the national team."

The Copa America will take place in the United States from June 20 to July 14, with Brazil starting against Costa Rica at the SoFi Stadium on June 24.

Brazil squad

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Atletico PR), Ederson (Manchester City)

Defenders: Beraldo (PSG), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Gabriel (Arsenal), Marquinhos (PSG), Danilo (Juventus), Yan Couto (Girona), Guilherme Arana (Atletico MG), Wendell (Porto)

Midfielders: Andreas Pereira (Fulham), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Joao Gomes (Wolves), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham)

Forwards: Endrick (Palmeiras), Evanilson (Porto), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Savinho (Girona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

Casemiro has been told to quit Manchester United after producing a dire display in Monday's 4-0 loss at Crystal Palace, with Jamie Carragher saying the Brazilian can no longer cut it at the top level.

United produced arguably their worst performance of the season on Monday, with Michael Olise scoring twice as Palace hammered Erik ten Hag's injury-hit side at Selhurst Park.

With Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof all sidelined, Casemiro played as a makeshift centre-back alongside Jonny Evans and endured a nightmare outing. 

The Brazilian was beaten all too easily by Olise for Palace's opener, then was outmuscled by Daniel Munoz for Olise's second goal just after the hour mark.

Carragher believes the time has come for the five-time Champions League winner to step away from the top level, saying a move to MLS or the Saudi Pro League should be on the cards. 

"I think Casemiro should know himself, as an experienced player, that he should only have three games left at a top level," Carragher said in his role as Sky Sports pundit. 

"Then he should say, 'I'm going to head to MLS or Saudi'. His agent or the team around him need to tell him. We're watching one of the greats of the modern time.

"But I always remember something when I retired, a saying I'll always remember, 'leave the football before the football leaves you'. 

"The football's left him at this top level. He needs to call it a day at this level of football and move."

Casemiro has struggled throughout his second season at Old Trafford. Last campaign, the former Real Madrid star won possession 8.68 times per 90 minutes, on average, in the Premier League, also managing 1.44 interceptions per game.

Both of those figures are down this term, with Casemiro only winning possession back 6.14 times and making 0.84 interceptions per 90 minutes. 

Since the turn of the year, meanwhile, United have faced a Premier League-high 317 shots, while only West Ham (36.35), Luton Town (35.78), Burnley (31.88) and Sheffield United (31.6) have allowed opponents to generate more expected goals (xG) than their 31.47.

Ten Hag, however, refused to single out Casemiro for criticism after Monday's match, saying: "You can't put this down to one player, it's a team performance."

Casemiro has been dribbled past on 52 occasions in the Premier League this season, with only eight players being beaten by opponents more often in the competition.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag accused Nottingham Forest of targeting Bruno Fernandes in his side’s FA Cup win at the City Ground and branded criticism of his captain “pathetic”.

The Portugal midfielder overcame a “serious injury” to play his part in United’s 1-0 victory at Forest, setting up Casemiro’s 89th-minute winner from a free-kick.

He was on the receiving end of plenty of robust challenges from Forest throughout the 90 minutes while also being the butt of social media jokes after Saturday’s loss against Fulham where he suffered the problem.

Fulham’s official TikTok account poked fun at him for appearing to feign injury and it got Ten Hag’s back up.

Asked about the severity of Fernandes’ injury, he said: “I don’t want to go into that because you saw that Forest was targeting him, so I don’t tell what he has but it was a serious injury.

“There were many fouls on him. Maybe I am a little bit too tough but when he has the ball they were really tight on him.

“Then I see that serious media criticise him and social media is pathetic and it can’t be.

“He has a serious injury but he continued to play on Saturday and today he also fought to be part of the game and he has a very high pain threshold.

“Last year he did also something similar against Spurs and in the semi-final and it shows his leadership because that expresses his character and that is very good when you are a leader.”

This was far from a classic performance by United, who face Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, but they got the job done and kept hopes of finishing the season with a trophy in tact.

That is not going to be easy, though, as they were handed quarter-final draw against Liverpool at Old Trafford in two and a half weeks.

“There are many good teams in the Premier League, Liverpool at this moment is top but it is a great challenge and we are really looking forward and we like the challenges, it is a great game for us to play.

“But first of all we are now looking forward to Sunday.”

Extra time was looming when Casemiro glanced Fernandes’ delivery past Matt Turner to send United’s travelling contingent wild.

The goal survived a lengthy VAR check as Raphael Varane, who was in an offside possession, blocked a couple of Forest players, but he was ruled not to be interfering in play.

Such has been Forest’s frustration at refereeing decisions in recent weeks, they have appointed Mark Clattenburg to act as a conduit to the PGMOL and he was spotted sat next to Howard Webb.

And this was another decision that went against them but boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who swatted away Ten Hag’s suggestions of targeting Fernandes, did not want to dwell on it.

Nuno said: “I didn’t see clearly the images but speaking with the players they say it is a block and a possible offside. They checked it.

“We have had so many issues in this period with VAR and referees that we try to forget about it and move forward.

“I think it was a good performance, we played good, much better than the previous game, so improvement from that.

“It is frustrating to lose it in the end but I think we played good, football is cruel sometimes and today we are on that side.”

Manchester United will host Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals after the two sides advanced with fifth-round victories on Wednesday night.

The Reds remain in contention for three more trophies after their rousing 1-0 extra-time victory over Chelsea in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, and booked their place in the last eight with a 3-0 win over Southampton.

United left it late to ensure they would be next to try spoiling Jurgen Klopp’s extended leaving do, with Casemiro’s 89th-minute header sending his side through with a 1-0 win to eliminate Nottingham Forest and ensure the 12-time FA Cup winners took one step closer to reaching what would be a record 22nd final.

Holders Manchester City, in search of their eighth FA Cup trophy, will host Newcastle in an all-Premier League clash.

The quarter-final draw took place before kick-off of Chelsea’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Leeds, one of just four Championship sides who had survived past the fourth round.

Former Arsenal and Manchester City keeper David Seaman drew the balls, but it was not an entirely joyous night for the childhood Leeds fan and four-time FA Cup champion after substitute Conor Gallagher netted a dramatic late winner to send the Blues through on the stroke of full-time.

Chelsea will now host Championship leaders Leicester, who booked their quarter-final place with a 1-0 fifth-round victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

Joining them in the last eight are Coventry, who, sitting ninth in the Championship, are the lowest-ranked side remaining in contention for the cup, progressing to the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2008/09 season.

They will travel to Molineux to meet Wolves, who on Wednesday night beat Brighton to reach the last eight for the first time since 2019.

Quarter-final ties will be played on the weekend of March 16.

Manchester United and Liverpool set up an FA quarter-final showdown after they claimed narrow wins over Nottingham Forest and Southampton respectively.

United were heading for extra-time at the City Ground before Casemiro secured a precious victory for Erik ten Hag’s team in the 89th minute.

A free kick by Bruno Fernandes was flicked home by the Brazilian to break the deadlock with the goal eventually given after a lengthy VAR check, which deemed the offside Raphael Varane had not interfered with play.

It was Casemiro’s first goal since September and helped United bounce back from Saturday’s loss to Fulham to clinch a home tie in the last-eight against rivals Liverpool.

The FA Cup draw had been made prior to the evening’s four kick-offs and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool youngsters again made the most of their opportunity with an excellent 3-0 triumph over Southampton.

Liverpool, fresh from their Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea, boasted a number of academy graduates in their starting line-up and Lewis Koumas, son of former Wales international Jason, opened the scoring with a deflected effort in the 44th minute.

It was Koumas’ full debut and he marked it with a goal after he collected a pass from fellow youngster Bobby Clark before his low effort was deflected in off Jack Stephens.

Southampton had squandered a number of promising openings before that point and Klopp turned to his bench to seal the victory.

With no Mohamad Salah or Darwin Nunez, Jayden Danns got the nod and produced a superb two-goal cameo.

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Danns’ first was a sumptuous chip after Harvey Elliott’s through ball with 17 minutes left before he wrapped up the victory when he tapped home after Conor Bradley had been denied.

Chelsea were desperate for a response after their Wembley disappointment and Pochettino’s team selection raised eyebrows with Cole Palmer and Gallagher dropped to the bench, but the latter was able to fire his team into the last eight with a last-gasp winner.

The night started disastrously for the hosts when Moises Caicedo lost possession inside his own area after Axel Disasi’s risky pass and young forward Mateo Joseph fired beyond Robert Sanchez with eight minutes played at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino’s men were not behind for long with Caicedo releasing Nicolas Jackson, who fired into the bottom corner for his 10th goal of the season after quarter of an hour.

Mykhailo Mudryk completed the first-half turnaround with a smart finish after Raheem Sterling’s cut-back in the 37th minute but Leeds levelled soon after half-time.

Jaidon Anthony cut inside and his floated cross was headed home by Joseph prior to the hour mark to spark jubilant scenes in the away end.

It set up a grandstand finish with chances missed by both sides before Chelsea booked their place in the next round where they will host Leicester.

Wolves set up another all-Midlands tie in the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Brighton.

Mario Lemina slid home with only two minutes played after Jason Steele fumbled Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s cross to book Gary O’Neil’s side a quarter-final tie at home to Coventry.

Casemiro’s late winner kept Manchester United in with a chance of ending a disappointing season with silverware as Erik ten Hag’s men edged past Nottingham Forest to set up an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool.

Ten Hag won the Carabao Cup during a promising first campaign but has come under increasing pressure during a troubled second season that threatened to unravel if they lost at the City Ground.

But last year’s FA Cup finalists dug deep and Casemiro turned home Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick at the death to secure a 1-0 win against Forest and set-up a mouth-watering quarter-final at Old Trafford.

The 89th-minute winner, which took several minutes to clear by the VAR, keeps United’s season alive having been dumped out of Europe in December and long since played themselves out of the Premier League title race.

Victory provides a welcome shot in the arm for injury-hit United, who not only bounced back from the home loss to Fulham but avoided extra-time exertions before this weekend’s derby clash with Manchester City.

Ten Hag’s troops had the best chances in the first half, albeit Forest had 14 opportunities after Antony – one of three alterations from Saturday’s crushing defeat – hit the crossbar just four minutes in with a first-time shot from Fernandes’ low cross.

Diogo Dalot’s fine cross was met by a close-range header from Scott McTominay but it was straight at Matt Turner.

The visitors wanted to unsettle the out-of-sorts Forest back-up, whose goal Marcus Rashford drove over as Ten Hag’s men looked for a morale-boosting opener.

But Forest had now settled after a cumbersome start, with former Liverpool striker Divock Origi and target man Taiwo Awoniyi posing problems.

Makeshift left-back Sofyan Amrabat was struggling and United’s midfield continued to leave gaps that Forest failed to punish as opportunities did not translate into clear-cut chances.

In fact, Nuno Espirito Santo’s hosts would have gone into the break behind was it not for a smart save from Turner at his near post after Dalot spun brilliantly away from danger to get in a cross for McTominay.

Both teams returned from the break unchanged and Forest began the brighter.

United academy graduate Elanga battled and played in Awoniyi to force a save out of Onana, who was soon punching away a rasping Origi effort.

Ten Hag’s side eventually regained composure and began to impose themselves, with Rashford seeing penalty appeals rejected after being sandwiched by two Forest defenders.

Fernandes bent wide with the outside of his right boot and saw a low effort turned just wide by McTominay as United dominated possession and the second half shot count.

Amad Diallo replaced the ineffective Antony and could not make clean connection on a blocked Alejandro Garnacho effort, with Rashford lasering off target as they continued to knock on the door.

Forest offered little response and Casemiro tried his luck as the clock wound down, with United sticking to their task and getting their reward from an 89th-minute set piece.

Fernandes swung a free-kick from the left flank to the near post, where Casemiro’s slight headed touch took it past Turner, sparking wild celebrations.

Forest looked fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men in stoppage time after Felipe grabbed Fernandes’ throat.

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag has hit back at Jamie Carragher’s criticism of his side’s defending.

Speaking on Sky Sports on Monday evening, former Liverpool defender Carragher was scathing about United’s display in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Fulham, which ended a five-match winning run that had fuelled some optimism around Old Trafford.

But Ten Hag accused Carragher of being biased against his side, saying: “First of all, some analysts are very objective in their comments, very good advice, some are very subjective.

“Jamie Carragher is one of them. From the first moment on he has criticised and now he wants to make his point.

“Probably in the first half an hour, yeah, he had a point. Fulham in their midfield set-up a little bit surprised us and then we have to find the solutions. After half an hour we found the solutions.

“I was not pleased with the performance in defending, especially with the left side, how we did the pressing because they came out, especially in the first half an hour, several times on the left side and that can’t happen.

“And that has everything to do with willingness, spirit and passion. That was in the previous weeks very good from this team and therefore we won football games.

“I know footballers are not robots, sometimes they have bad days. But it can’t be, it’s unacceptable and we have to do better tomorrow. But in the weeks before we have done very well.”

Ten Hag also gave a staunch defence of Antony, whose future is the subject of much speculation.

The United boss did not comment on whether the Brazilian winger could be sold in the summer but insisted he can get back to his best after failing to make the starting line-up in the Premier League this year.

“I backed him for a long time,” said Ten Hag, who previously managed Antony at Ajax.

“I know his abilities and he has great abilities. I know from the past, he is unstoppable, no defender can stop him because he’s one of the quickest players in the first 10 yards. When he plays that game, he will perform.

“I’m very confident he will do it for the future. He is resilient, he is a character and he will fight back. I back him and he now has to wait for his chance and once he is there he has to pick up.”

United face a crunch week in their season, with Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round clash against Nottingham Forest followed by the Manchester derby at the Etihad on Sunday.

The FA Cup is the Red Devils’ last chance of silverware, while defeat on Sunday could spell the end of their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

“When you are unbeaten for January and February and you lose one game – we know our aim is to win every game, at United you have to win every game,” said Ten Hag.

“Obviously it was a poor performance, a poor defeat, we are aware of this and we want to stay in every competition so, yeah, we have to win tomorrow. But it doesn’t change our approach because that is for every game.

“So many more defining moments will be coming up. The first game is the most important.”

Midfielder Casemiro is available for the trip to Forest after being forced off against Fulham with a cut to his head.