Manchester United have one foot in the League Cup final after beating Hull City 2-0 at Old Trafford in a one-sided first leg semi.
The Red Devils have now won nine games in a row in all competitions, extending their unbeaten run to 15 matches.
Juan Mata and substitute Marouane Fellaini scored second-half goals – assisted by Henrik Mkhitaryan and Matteo Darmian respectively – to give United the result their dominance more than deserved.
The hosts had 21 shots to Hull’s six. Eleven of those United efforts were on target, while one hit the woodwork – direct from a thunderous Paul Pogba free kick.
Wayne Rooney, searching for goal no.250 of his United career to make himself the club’s stand-alone record scorer, had two efforts, but both failed to work the Hull goalkeeper.
United had 66.4% of ball possession, with Ander Herrera the most accurate distributer, completing 93.5% of his 107 passes.
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MOTM
Pogba was CaughtOffside’s man of the match. The Frenchman bossed the midfield with a fine all-round display.
The world’s most expensive footballer won six aerial duels and two tackles, as well as playing three key passes, making two dribbles and trying his luck with five shots.
Close from Pogba….. #mufc pic.twitter.com/5wL2t2KlIy
— BAKERMUFC (@BAKERMUFC1999) January 10, 2017
Player ratings
Man Utd starters: De Gea 6; Valencia 7, Jones 6, Smalling 7, Darmian 8; Herrera 8, Pogba 9, Mata 8, Rooney 6, Mkhitaryan 7; Rashford 6.
Hull starters: Jakupovic 6; Meyler 6, Maguire 7, Huddlestone 6, Robertson 6; Clucas 6, Mason 7, Henriksen 5, Tymon 6, Snodgrass 6; Diomande 6.
Man Utd subs: Martial 6 (on for Rooney on 59 mins), Lingard 6 (on for Mkhitaryan on 71 mins), Fellaini 7 (on for Mata on 79 mins).
Hull subs: Hernandez 6 (on for Henriksen on 19 mins), Maloney (on for Diomande on 74 mins).