CARABAO CUP DRAW

MAN UTD TO FACE BURTON ALBION AND LIVERPOOL GET LEICESTER IN THIRD ROUND

Clubs found out their third-round opponents during the draw in China, with teams involved in European competitions entering the EFL at this stage

Defending champions Manchester United will open their EFL Cup campaign against Burton Albion in the third round.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the hero last season as United edged Southampton in extra time to claim the trophy, and Jose Mourinho's men are set to start their title defence at home to the Championship outfit in September.

It will be only the second meeting between the two sides following United's FA Cup third-round replay win in 2006.

The draw was heavily criticised prior to Thursday due to the location and unusual time, with it scheduled to be staged in Beijing at 11:15 local time (03:15 GMT) in the Chinese capital.

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And fans in Britain who set their alarms to follow the draw were left frustrated and waiting impatiently for proceedings to get underway.

When the draw finally started, 2016 winners Manchester City found out their opponents early as they received a trip to fellow Premier League side West Brom.

City lost in the fourth round last term and this season's tie could see West Brom defender Jonny Evans – a reported target for Pep Guardiola – potentially feature at The Hawthorns as a visiting player.

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Premier League champions Chelsea are at home, welcoming Nottingham Forest to Stamford Bridge after the latter stunned Newcastle United in the second round, while Tottenham will face either Barnsley or Derby County.

Liverpool – eight-time winners – will visit Leicester City in the third round. Jurgen Klopp's men, who booked their spot in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, were beaten in the semi-finals by Southampton last season.

League One's Doncaster Rovers will head to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal – runners-up in 2011.

There will also be a reunion when Burnley's record signing Chris Wood faces former team Leeds United, while Wolves – who ousted last season's finalists Southampton in the second round – take on Bristol Rovers.

The ties will be played week commencing September 18

The draw in full:

West Brom v Manchester City
Everton v Sunderland
Leicester City v Liverpool
Manchester United v Burton Albion
Brentford v Norwich City
Wolves v Bristol Rovers
Burnley v Leeds United
Arsenal v Doncaster Rovers
Bristol City v Stoke City
Reading v Swansea City
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
West Ham v Bolton
Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town
Tottenham v Barnsley/Derby County
Bournemouth v Brighton and Hove Albion

Mourinho equals Sir Alex Ferguson's League Cup record

The Portuguese now sits alongside the former Red Devils boss - as well as Brian Clough - in the rankings having led his side to a 3-2 win on Sunday

Jose Mourinho has now won the League Cup four times, a joint-record among managers along with Brian Clough and former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

United played out a thrilling Wembley final with Southampton on Sunday, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring twice to secure the trophy for the Red Devils.

Manolo Gabbiadini had an early goal ruled out for offside but went on to score twice, levelling the game after Jesse Lingard put United 2-0 up in the first half. 

Ibrahimovic struck three minutes from time, though, securing United's fifth League Cup trophy, and Mourinho's fourth.

A one-man show - Where would Man Utd be without Zlatan?

The Portuguese led Chelsea to the trophy in 2005, 2007 and 2015, with Sunday's victory his first major trophy as United boss. 

Mourinho also became the first manager to win a major trophy in his first season at Old Trafford.

VIDEO: Paul Pogba dabs with League Cup trophy

The midfielder performed his trademark celebration with Manchester United's first major trophy win of 2016-17'

Champions!

Ibrahimovic late goal wins it for Manchester United

Manchester United took on Southampton in the EFL Cup 2017 final at Wembley on Sunday evening and it turned out to be a cracking game of football where Southampton started stronger of the blocks but it was United who took the lead through their Talisman, Ibrahimovic who scored with a stunning freekick. Jesse Lingard continue his Wembley love affair scoring United’s second an his third consecutive in wembley finals. However Southampton got a life line just before the break Gabbiadini scored at the stroke of halftime.

Match Highlights (English)

Jose Mourinho Post Match Interview:

Manchester United 2-1 Southampton Highlights
[ EFL Cup 2017 Match ]
19′ 1 – 0 Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored with a superb freekick in just 19th minute of the game to put United 1-0 in lead.
39′ 2 – 0 Jesse Lingard made it 2-0 in 40th minute when his well placed shot from edge of the box found its way into the back of the net.
45′ 2 – 1 Manolo Gabbiadini brought Southampton into the game at stroke of halftime.
49′ 2 – 2 Manolo Gabbiadini
87′ 3 – 2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Southampton are a decent side who defeated Liverpool 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinals winning both legs 1-0. They are compact at the back and offer incredible pace on the counter attack which caused all sorts of problems for Liverpool. However this United side are a different animal who are dynamic and play in couple of different systems thanks to a quality squad. There are injury worries for both sides going into the game and we take a look who will be play and missing on Sunday.

Team News & Possible Lineups:Southampton will be without captain Van Dijk, Charlie Austin and Sofian Boufal. But manager Claude Puel can still put together a quality starting lineup with loads of pace upfront with the likes of Shane Long and Redmond providing runs in behind the defense.

Ibrahimovic and Pogba holds the key for United in the final. Ibrahimovic grabbed a brace when last time these two meet back in August.

Jose Mourinho on the other hand will be without Michael Carrick and Henrik Mikhitaryan who both wobbled off during Europa League game. Wayne Rooney and Luke Shaw are set to miss out again as things behind the scenes kind of playing its part in them being overlooked. Mourinho is likely to go with Ibrahimovic upfront while Anthony Martial, Juan Mata and Pogba to start in attacking roles while Fellaini to partner Herrera in midfield. This is how I expect both teams to lineup on Sunday.

Match Predictions: United coming into this game knackered by so many games and it is starting to take its toll with Carrick and Mikhitaryan both missing out on the final. On the other hand it eases selection headech for Mourinho but he still have to make a massive decision whether to start with Martial or Rashford in the final. Regardless what team lineup he goes with United will be favourites but I expect Southampton to make a game of it and surprisingly I am going with Southampton to win this one largely down to the face they will be fresher of the two.

Ibrahimovic winner secures League Cup for Jose Mourinho's men

The Swede stepped up when his side needed him to net twice in the 3-2 EFL Cup win over Southampton

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COMMENT

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It was a cup final with absolutely everything. There was controversy, drama, a stirring comeback, a fabulous capacity crowd, and a succession of errors helping to make for wide open, heart-stopping football. But every big match needs a hero and, when the time came, Zlatan Ibrahimovic stepped up once again for Manchester United. And boy, did they need him.
Southampton will curse their rotten luck having been the better side on the day and seeing a stick-on opening goal cancelled out by poor officiating but it was ultimately their inability to deal with Ibrahimovic which settled the EFL Cup final in United’s favour.
United looked vulnerable from the start, with crosses from both wings flashing freely across the face of goal early on. Down the left flank in particular the Red Devils looked weak, with Marcos Rojo isolated and attacked time and again.
There was a let-off from one such situation when Manolo Gabbiadini’s strike was ruled out by an erroneous offside call. But Saints just didn’t respond well enough to the setback and, when Oriol Romeu made a dangerous challenge 25 yards from goal, Zlatan punished him wonderfully by curling the resulting free-kick over the wall.

Jesse Lingard’s third goal in three club games at Wembley should have been enough to secure the trophy before half-time, but Southampton made a point of going back at United’s glaring weaknesses. Another low cross was turned home by Gabbiadini as the Reds stood and watched on the cusp of the interval, then Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling were caught on the back foot as Gabbiadini reacted brilliantly to Steven Davis’ header and the scores were level.
It was the least the Saints had deserved as they continued to make United look atrocious at the back and, during a period which saw Romeu hit the post with a free header, the odds had to favour Claude Puel’s side. United, again, were riding their luck.
But that just set the stage for Zlatan. With little more than three minutes to go, he ghosted in off the back of Ryan Bertrand to head home Ander Herrera’s cross from the edge of the six-yard box. Just as happened when United came here in August for the Community Shield, Ibrahimovic had won it with a header from a right-wing cross.

His 26th goal of the season earned him the right to lift a 32nd major trophy of his phenomenal career. And, for all the talk that he had become a one-man team at Paris Saint-Germain, this was truly a solo bail-out job for an otherwise second-best United.
Given the way they constantly gave up spaces and chances to the underdogs, this will not be a final that will live long in the hearts of United fans but for any other reason than Zlatan’s game-winning contribution.
They would have been lost without him.