Manchester United made their way through to the final eight of the Carabao Cup largely without incident, as they claimed a 2-0 victory thanks to two goals from Jesse Lingard. His excellent finishes seemed to belong to a different game, as Swansea, with the exception of a couple of flourishes, offered little resistance. United, who made seven changes from their defeat against Huddersfield, deserve credit for a dominant performance.
Positives
Lingard's finishing was superb. Matteo Darmian was more enterprising in attack than he has been in some time. Axel Tuanzebe and Scott McTominay took their chance to impress well.
Negatives
Not too many. Victor Lindelof looked uncertain with his long passing and possession in the first half but found his feet in the second.
Manager rating out of 10
8 -- Jose Mourinho shuffled his squad well and was rewarded with a straightforward result, with a couple of players making a strong claim for greater involvement in upcoming games.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Sergio Romero, 7 -- Was especially alert in the game's opening stages and was quick off his line when the match was goalless. Assured throughout.
DF Matteo Darmian, 8 -- Got forward regularly and well -- far more than he usually does -- and provided a superb assist for Lingard's second goal.
DF Chris Smalling, 7 -- Good passing out from the back and went close with a second-half effort. Kept his play brisk and uncomplicated.
DF Victor Lindelof, 6 -- Struggled for accuracy with his long passing in the first half, and one awkward moment played in Swansea's forwards on goal. Looks understandably short of confidence after the Huddersfield defeat.
DF Axel Tuanzebe, 8 -- Looked as if he was utterly in his element, particularly impressive since he has played so little of late. Stepped forward into midfield with notable poise and built the play well.
DF Daley Blind, 6 -- A reasonable performance, punctuated with one or two slightly nervy moments in possession. Passing generally good though he could have got forward more effectively.
MF Ander Herrera, 8 -- Controlled the base of midfield, sitting deeper than usual and allowing nothing through. Still found enough invention to prompt United's opening goal with a fine pass.
MF Jesse Lingard, 9 -- Scored for his third successive League Cup game, with two excellent finishes -- a clipped strike and a header from beyond the penalty spot -- making the difference. Moved with efficiency and intelligence throughout.
MF Scott McTominay, 8 -- Smart with and without the ball, stretching Swansea with his movement and combining well with his teammates. Made a strong claim for more minutes in the months to come.
FW Anthony Martial, 6 -- Was a little subpar against opposition where he might have been expected to make a bigger impact, with his trickery pleasing on the eye but not as devastating as it can be. Good movement to pin Swansea back, but not incisive enough with the ball.
FW Marcus Rashford, 7 -- A beautifully subtle touch to play Lingard in for his opening goal, and his speed and movement on the break were frequently too much for Swansea. His set-piece delivery was not of its usual high standards, though.
Substitutes
MF Nemanja Matic, 7 -- Brought on for Herrera at the 66th minute to close the game out and did so with minimal fuss, easing into his role against a dispirited opposition.
FW Romelu Lukaku, 6 -- A quiet evening in Wales for the Belgian who came in for Rashford. He did not provide a significant threat as his attack and midfield played within itself in the closing stages.
DF Luke Shaw -- Coming in at the 86th minute, Shaw's substitution is notable because he got only a handful of minutes -- even against such non-threatening competition. A worrisome time for the England international.