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Marcus Rashford’s double saw Manchester United progress to the Carabao Cup quarter finals, toppling Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening.

The Red Devils started slowly but grew into the game and won a penalty just as the tide began to turn in their favour, courtesy of some naive defending from Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard’s loose pass on the left arrived at Daniel James’ feet and as the Welshman drove into the box, Alonso’s clumsy challenge gave away a penalty.

Rashford might have missed one at the weekend, but he confidently tucked this one away as Willy Caballero dived to the the wrong side of his goal.

A different Chelsea emerged for the second half, one with purpose, desire and energy – typified by Michy Batshuayi’s 61st minute equaliser. The Belgian beat Harry Maguire to Caballero’s clearance, won his own flick on and motored from his own half to curl a shot into the bottom corner.

Manchester United were back in front on 73 minutes, Rashford unleashing a spectacular free kick from distance which moved in the air multiple times on its way to the back of Chelsea’s net. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team then held on in an open end to the game to reach the next round of the competition.

Here’s the take on proceedings.

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Chelsea

Key Talking Point

It was a tale of two ​Chelsea‘s on Wednesday evening, the one that laboured in the first half and the XI full of energy and purpose in an open second 45 minutes. In honesty, this was a reflection that Frank Lampard got his team selection and shape wrong on the night.

As good as Christian Pulisic was at Burnley, he has hardly featured this season and looks like he might require more game time before he shows the same influence against better opposition. This also meant that Callum Hudson-Odoi was shunted over to the right and neither thrived against their opponent’s wing-backs.

There was also the issue of young Billy Gilmour being the most creative midfielder alongside two functional counterparts and Chelsea struggled to get a grip in the centre of the pitch.

Gilmour will certainly benefit from the minutes and improved in the second half, but Lampard’s decision meant that when Mason Mount and Pedro entered from the bench United were already well on top.

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Player Ratings

Starting XI: Caballero (6); James (6), Zouma (7), Guehi (7), Alonso (6); Gilmour (6), Jorginho (7), Kovacic (7); Hudson-Odoi (6), Batshuayi (7), Pulisic (6)

Substitutes: Mount (6), Pedro (6), Abraham (5)

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STAR MAN

A tough decision given that there were no standout performers in the Chelsea side, but Jorginho quietly went about his business on a night when he captained the Blues.

It capped a remarkable transformation from Maurizio Sarri’s on-pitch general and lightning rod for criticism, to key player who heard the fans singing his name in full voice. He tried to set the tempo early on by intercepting Marcus Rashford as United sprung a counter attack and made a crucial second-half tackle as Jesse Lingard shaped to shoot.

He tried to pull the strings from deep and influence the game while Manchester United won the midfield battle, but he put in a real shift and covered a lot of ground in order for Gilmour and then Mount to move closer to the front three in the second half.

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Manchester United

Key Talking Point

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has a system for these bigger games and it’s starting to work. It might be somewhere between bus parking and paint drying, but it covers for all the deficiencies in ​Manchester United‘s squad.

Defensive pairings have been a problem for the Red Devils for a while now, but a back three hasn’t just made them more solid it lifted the load on Scott McTominay and Fred’s shoulders at Stamford Bridge. Without constantly worrying about protecting what’s behind them they’ve fixed that neck ache and starting looking forward, imposing themselves on the Chelsea midfield.

The wing backs set the tone by disrupting Chelsea in wide areas, which meant James, ​Rashford and Lingard could focus on pressing their opposing centre halves and causing counter-attacking damage. It’s no coincidence that they’ve won so many recent penalties.

The system stopped working as Chelsea’s second-half influence grew, but credit to Solskjaer who tinkered at the right time. Victor Lindelof was removed in the 66th minute as they switched to a back four and once again there was an attacking presence as they stemmed the Blue tide.

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Player Ratings

Starting XI: Romero (6); Lindelof (7), Maguire (7), Rojo (6); Wan-Bissaka (7), McTominay (8), Fred (7), Williams (6); Lingard (7); James (7), Rashford (9*)

Substitutes: Martial (7), Pereira (6), Young (5)

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STAR MAN

What a difference a few weeks makes. It wasn’t long ago that Marcus Rashford seemed devoid of confidence and in dire need of a rest from first-team action. It’s just not in his nature to go hiding and credit to him for playing through what seemed like a rough patch.

After missing a penalty against Norwich just four days ago, he stepped up to the spot to convert in composed fashion. Then there was the small matter of an absolutely sublime free-kick to restored the Red Devils’ lead.

Rashford offered so much more than goals on the evening though, his tireless effort was integral to the two systems United used on the night. Alongside James he was crucial to his team’s pressing and countering, and after shifting to the left of a 4-2-3-1 he helped nullify Chelsea’s marauding wide players before being replaced by Ashley Young.

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Looking Ahead

Chelsea’s Champions League tie with Ajax next Tuesday is sandwiched between Premier League fixtures against Watford and Crystal Palace. Frank Lampard then faces one of his toughest challenges in the Blues’ hotseat, a visit to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Manchester United visit Bournemouth in the Premier League this weekend, before an Old Trafford double-header against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League and Brighton domestically.

Liverpool made it through to the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup, beating Arsenal on penalties after an unbelievable 5-5 draw at Anfield.

It didn’t take long for the Premier League leaders to strike, a fortuitous own goal after six minutes from Shkodran Mustafi, who bundled Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s low cross in to the back of his own net.

But Arsenal responded well, Lucas Torreira converting the rebound after Bukayo Saka’s shot was parried by Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher; the goal given despite Torreira standing in an offside position when the initial shot was struck.

The Gunners then took the lead after 26 minutes, turning the game on its head, when Kelleher once again pushed the ball in to the path of an Arsenal attacker, this time enabling Gabriel Martinelli to blast home from only yards out. Martinelli soon doubled his tally, sweeping home Saka’s sublime cross following yet another Liverpool error.

However, Arsenal’s Brazilian forward soon turned from hero to villain, gifting Liverpool a penalty which captain James Milner calmly converted, bringing a frenetic first half to an end.

Shortly after the break Arsenal restored their two-goal advantage, when veteran Milner played a weak back pass which was leapt on by Ainsley Maitland-Niles, before former Gunner Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi struck in quick succession to level the scores at 4-4.

Both sides had more in the tank though as, first, Joe Willock picked up the ball from deep, drove at the heart of the Liverpool defence and hit an unstoppable thunderbolt into the top corner to make it 5-4.

It looked as if the visitors had won it, but Origi had other ideas, acrobatically volleying home from Neco Williams’ cross to force the contest to penalties, seeing the Anfield crowd erupt with ecstasy.

Penalties shortly ensued, giving everyone a moment to catch a breath. Only one man failed to convert his spot kick, Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos having his penalty saved by Kelleher. Curtis Jones then slotted home Liverpool’s fifth and final penalty sending them in to the quarter final of the Carabao Cup.

Here is the breakdown of the action:

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Liverpool

Key Talking Point 

​Liverpool made 11 changes from the side that beat Tottenham in the Premier League last weekend, and it was telling. Jurgen Klopp’s new-look side were evidently nervous, continually making mistakes that led to quality Arsenal chances.

However, with the Carabao Cup hardly the Reds’ number-one priority, it was not surprising that Liverpool looked hectic and unprepared.

The performance signifies the lack of squad depth that the reigning European champions have, a stark contrast to that of their title rivals Manchester City, leaving them unable to field a second team strong enough to convincingly challenge on all domestic and European fronts.

However, Liverpool’s youthful team do deserve credit, repeatedly clawing their way back in to an utterly breathtaking affair. They refused to lie down, despite being behind for the majority of the night, and it is the kind of character that will impress Klopp, regardless of performance.

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Player Ratings

Starting XI: Kelleher (5); Williams (5), Gomez (6), Van den Berg (5), Milner (4); Lallana (5), Keita (4), Oxlade-Chamberlain (7); Elliott (6), Origi (8*) Brewster (5)

Substitutes: Jones (6) Chirivella (5)

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STAR MAN – Divock Origi showed his credentials again, rescuing Liverpool with two fine strikes. The Belgian had a quiet first half, but put in an electric performance in the second, and showed his reliability in big knockout moments once more.

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Arsenal

Key Talking Point

Arsenal looked a lot sharper going forward than they had over the course of the last week, showcasing some attractive football against, an albeit weakened, Liverpool. They were ruthless in front of goal, capitalising on every mistake (and there were a lot).

The return of Ozil and Torreira to the side gave them an assurance to their offensive display, supported by the clinical Martinelli, who is giving Unai Emery a serious selection dilemma.

However, Arsenal’s defence still looked incredibly fragile, managing to ship four goals to a Liverpool attack who have rarely played together. The back line were far from convincing from first minute to last and once again proved a liability for the Gunners.

Arsenal’s penalty defeat sums up a pretty dreadful week for tonight’s visitors, who threw away yet another lead.

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Player Ratings

Starting XI: Martinez (5); Bellerin (6), Holding (5), Mustafi (4), Kolasinac (5); Torreira (8), Willock (7), Maitland-Niles (7), Ozil (8*), Saka (6), Martinelli (7)

Substitutes: Guendouzi (5) Ceballos (4) Tierney (5)

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STAR MAN – Whilst ​Mesut Ozil only managed 64 minutes in his return to first team football, his class and grace was undeniable. It looked as if he was playing against his kids in the garden at points, and the German has certainly proved a point ahead of the Gunners’ league clash with Wolves at the weekend.

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Looking Ahead

Liverpool’s next game is a visit to Villa Park to take on newly-promoted Aston Villa in the ​Premier League, as they look to sustain their lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Arsenal play host to Wolverhampton Wanderers and a win would guarantee they stay in fifth place.

Real Madrid put in their best performance of the season to secure a routine victory over lowly Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night, in turn moving up to second in La Liga.

​Karim Benzema found himself in the mix straight away, first playing the ball across the box for Rodrygo to tap into an empty net, before turning provider once more to feed Toni Kroos who doubled the hosts lead inside eight minutes.

​Sergio Ramos then added a third from the penalty spot on the second attempt, after Juan Soriano was judged to have been off his line when he saved Ramos’ first effort – a penalty which came about after the goalkeeper brought down ​Eden Hazard.

There was far more intensity from the Cucumber Growers (yes, really) after half-time as Thibaut Courtois was finally called into action, but the spirited response, in truth, didn’t test ​Madrid beyond a few routine saves.

Any faint hopes of a revival were finally dashed by the excellent ​Benzema, who slotted home from the spot after Kenneth Omeruo somehow avoided a red card for his foul on Luka Modric in the penalty area. A fifth goal arrived late on through substitute Luka Jovic – his first in ​La Liga – in what was a supremely satisfying night for Zinedine Zidane and co.

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REAL MADRID 

Key Talking Point

Zidane will have been licking his lips after a scintillating first-half display in which Madrid dominated proceedings and looked well and truly up for the occasion.

With Karim Benzema setting the tone, Los Blancos pressed their opponents high up the pitch to devastating effect and could have easily gone into half-time with a more comprehensive lead.

Luis Cembranos clearly got stuck into his Leganes players at half-time, with far more intensity shown in their play as they aimed to overturn a seemingly impossible deficit. Thibaut Courtois (finally) got involved, but Madrid’s superior quality eventually told.

Granted, they were taking on a side rooted to the foot of La Liga, but this is the level of commitment and desire that Madrid should be showing on a weekly basis if they are to enjoy a run in the Champions League and offer some resemblance of a challenge on the league title.

Not too much can be looked into Wednesday’s result given the level of opposition, but its positive signs moving forward for Madrid, who cannot afford further slip-ups against the league’s strugglers this season.

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Player Ratings

Starting XI: Courtois (6); Carvajal (7), Varane (7), Ramos (8), Marcelo (7); Valverde (7), Casemiro (8), Kroos (8); Rodrygo (7), Benzema (9*), Hazard (7)

​Substitutes: Modric (8), Jovic (6), Isco (N/A)

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Star Man

It was an all-round superb showing from Madrid, but the team thrived off the work done up front by Karim Benzema.

His hold up play and running off the ball caused Leganes all sorts of problems and by occupying the central defenders he allowed Rodrygo and Hazard with the space they needed to cause damage down the wings. Love him or hate him, overrate him or underrate him, Benzema is still a superb striker even at 31-years-old.

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LEGANES

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Juan Soriano (4); Bustinza (4), Tarin (5), Omeruo (3), Silva (4); Rivera (5), Awaziem (5), Braithwaite (6), Arnaiz (5), Rodrigues (5); En-Nesyri (5)

Substitutes: Recio (5), Ruibal (5), Garcia del Pozo (4)

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Looking Ahead

Madrid needn’t go far for their next fixture, as they’re back at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday as they take on Real Betis in La Liga.

For the visitors, they’re back on home turf as they host Eibar on Sunday evening in La Liga.

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde said he had “run out of words” to describe Lionel Messi after his stellar display in a 5-1 win against Real Valladolid.

Messi struck twice, including a landmark 50th career free-kick, and provided brilliant assists for Arturo Vidal and Luis Suarez as Barca returned to the top of La Liga with a seventh straight win in all competitions.

Clement Lenglet gave Valverde’s side a flying start, while Kiko Olivas had hauled Valladolid level in the first half.

“What else can be said about him? I’ve run out of words,” Valverde told a post-match press conference, quoted in marca.com.

“We always know that he will appear, whatever the match.

“His talent isn’t comparable to anything, the reality is that every time he touches the ball, something special happens. I just don’t know what to say.”

Barcelona were without a game at the weekend following the postponement of El Clasico for security reasons, while Valverde handed 16-year-old Ansu Fati his second league start.

“It wasn’t an excessive match, but I think we played well,” added Valverde, whose side play at Levante on Saturday before next Tuesday’s home Champions League tie against Slavia Prague.

“We’re in a week of three matches and it was important to start it well.

“We have a big squad and all the players are fighting to play. There are players who deserve to play but can’t always do so. We will be managing the group.”

Valladolid had been unbeaten in their previous five matches and manager Sergio Gonzalez urged his players to keep their heads high.

“We did the most difficult thing, which was to match that initial goal and at the time we were changing the structure of the team,” Gonzalez said.

“Then Messi’s free-kick is a masterpiece. Barcelona wanted to rebel. They had not played for a long time and everything went straight.

“The result is bulky, but we have to assimilate it, raise our heads and relativise it.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank hailed Ollie Watkins after the forward scored twice in a 3-1 sky Bet Championship victory at QPR.

Watkins took his tally for the season to 10 as the Bees stormed to a third consecutive win.

He drifted between centre-backs Grant Hall and Toni Leistner to head home a first-half opener and netted again in the final seconds.

Hall had equalised early in the second half but Said Benrahma put the visitors back in front with a penalty just before the hour mark.

Watkins has been outstanding since being deployed as an out-and-out striker following Neal Maupay’s summer departure for Brighton.

“I can only praise him for his work ethic – look how hard he works throughout the game,” said Frank.

“That’s a massive, big thing for us. We were pressing high constantly in the second half – chasing everything and keep on pushing up. His focus is on developing and wanting to get better.

“We’ve been working very hard with him to stay on the last line. The first goal was a clear example of that – we want him in between the two centre-backs. He’s doing that very well.

“I thought it was a clear, clear win. We had a lot of opportunities to score the 3-1 goal and we scored it in the end.”

Brentford have real momentum after recovering from a stuttering start to the season but Frank insisted they cannot afford to get carried away.

He said:  “Everybody in this league has big dreams and we also have big dreams, but we know it’s so important to keep humble and keep working extremely hard.

“There are loads of things we can still improve. I’d like us to control the game even more.”

QPR manager Mark Warburton insisted the controversial decision to award Brentford a penalty was the game’s decisive moment.

The former Bees boss, whose side would have gone second had they won, was incensed that Josh Scowen was adjudged to have fouled Bryan Mbeumo.

“It was lost on a big decision, let’s be really clear,” Warburton said.

“We deserved to go in at half-time 1-0 down. We had to step up the tempo and move the ball better in the second half – and we did.

“We got the equaliser, were in the ascendancy and I was really confident at that point.

“Then that decision changes everything. You have to be really sure if you’re going to give a call like that – make sure you’re 100 per cent.

“I think you’ve seen the replays I’ve seen. I think I’ll let you describe it because I might get fined if I describe it appropriately.

“We were in good shape and I’m frustrated beyond belief to see a game change in that manner over that type of call.

“You see Josh go to make the challenge. He then pulls his left leg back, puts his hands up and the guy (Mbeumo) is already in the air.”

Thomas Tuchel insists Paris St Germain deserve more praise for their exploits after thrashing Marseille 4-0 in Le Classique.

PSG’s dominance in Ligue 1 was clear to see as first-half braces from Mauro Icardi and Kylian Mbappe blew Marseille away and moved them eight points clear at the top.

It means Tuchel’s side have won their last three games in all competitions – in the absence of injured forward Neymar – by a combined total of 13-1.

“This is an exceptional week, with outstanding results since the international break: 4-1 in Nice, 5-0 in Bruges and 4-0 tonight for Le Classique,” Tuchel said according to L’Equipe.

“Four goals in one half, I know everyone thinks it’s easy, but no, and I congratulate the team.

“It’s a match with a great story, which must be respected, it’s not an encounter like the others for our fans.

“Advantage or not (financially), we must win, show our quality.”

Icardi and Mbappe had shared five goals in the midweek Champions League win over Club Brugge before combining to rip apart Marseille in the first half on Sunday.

The former – a summer signing on loan from Inter Milan – has scored seven goals in his last five games.

Icardi said: “I’m very happy with this victory. We knew the importance this match had.

“I’m very happy with my two goals. I came here with this desire to score.

“I have played with great players, but here at PSG, it’s the best team I have played with.”

Marseille boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted he got his tactics wrong, but felt there was little his side could do against PSG’s superstars.

“I decided to play with high lines and we paid for it,” he said, according to L’Equipe.

“But it is the individual quality that made the difference, it is not a question on tactics.

“I am very proud of the second half. It was difficult to face them at half-time, when we were 4-0 down, but the players were brave. We finished with 4-0 and I’m proud.

“As I said before the match, this game does not count for anything.

“Our championship remains different and we are still three points behind second (Nantes). We must focus on (qualifying for) the Champions League.”