Man Utd 7-0 Barnsley: Erik ten Hag's team humiliates Barnsley in the Carabao Cup thanks to two goals from Marcus Rashford.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United defeated Barnsley, a League One team, 7-0 to advance to the Carabao Cup fourth round and hand Erik ten Hag his largest victory as manager. Marcus Rashford, in particular, scored twice.

Leading the line for United, Rashford opened the score in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Southampton, ending a six-month goalless streak. Keeping him in the side proved to be wise for Ten Hag as he added the fifth with a self-assured first-time finish.

After the game, Ten said, "When I see the teeth [smiling] from Marcus Rashford, I'm calm, I'm composed and I'm confident that he will score."

The 26-year-old missed a hat-trick opportunity when he conceded a penalty to Antony, who hadn't scored since April, but managed to beat Gabriel Slonina, a Chelsea loanee, with his spot kick in the Barnsley goal.

Alejandro Garnacho, who started the match on the bench against Southampton, added two more goals. First, he scored from close range in stoppage time, and then he calmly finished to make it 4-0 after Christian Eriksen had opened up the weak Barnsley defence.

In the last moments, Eriksen scored twice on his own, one goal coming from a cross from replacement Bruno Fernandes and the other one coming from a curling shot into the bottom corner four minutes apart. It had been over a year since he scored a goal for the club.

 
United will play their return to Premier League action against Crystal Palace on Saturday Night Football after learning their opponents for the Carabao Cup fourth-round draw on Wednesday.

Ten Hag feels that Rashford's happiness is crucial.

Last season, Rashford's future at United appeared hopeless at times, with many believing that going on was the only way to help his career take off.

Ten Hag, the United manager, has remained loyal to his forward and has been rewarded for his belief. At five games into the current season, Rashford has almost reached halfway to equal his total of eight from the previous year.

Although those three goals have come against inferior teams in Southampton and Barnsley, Rashford is starting to regain the confidence he did during his 30-goal first season with Ten Hag.

When asked about Rashford's performance, Ten Hag responded, "He had this feeling, this wonderful mood, in my first season as well.

"When I see the teeth [smiling] from Marcus Rashford, I'm calm, I'm composed and I'm confident that he will score."

After a full year in the wilderness, Rashford appears to be returning to his greatest form. However, more rigorous testing will be necessary to determine this, beginning with Saturday's trip to Selhurst Park.

Rashford: I have to become more reliable.

After the match, Rashford refrained from getting ahead of himself, but he hopes that his double will help him return to the form that made him so valuable to Ten Hag in the beginning of his Old Trafford career.

"Football is football and sometimes you have ups and sometimes you have downs, but you have to use these games to find momentum, find consistency and just try your best to bring your best level in each game," he said.

"I hope the goals continue to come, but it's too early to tell. Now that we've moved on to the next game, we may relax, heal, and concentrate on it.

"As a front unit and midfield, I thought we did really well today."

Reasons 'big guy' Rashford might be important for Garnacho

19-year-old Garnacho, who scored and provided two assists at Old Trafford, was somewhat eclipsed by Rashford's comeback.

After being benched at Southampton, where he came on as a substitute and scored the third, Garnacho had a point to prove.

Having played six games thus far this season—including the Community Shield loss to Manchester City on penalties—the attacker has been in excellent form, averaging a goal involvement every 37 minutes.

Although Garnacho excelled in crucial situations last season—none more so than the FA Cup final goal versus City—he struggled to stay reliable as his teammates failed to share the scoring load.

Garnacho assisted on both of Rashford's goals, and Ten Hag is hopeful that the Manchester United forward's return to form will help him avoid being overused, as the teenager has "high potentials."

"After the game, Ten Hag stated that Marcus Rashford wasn't the only one who needed to score goals." We need more goal scorers, but from my first season here, I know that when he scores, it makes things simpler for the club to have a person in your lineup who is a surefire scorer.

"After that, it might have an impact. Football matches are decided in the box, but you can do a lot of extremely fantastic stuff between the boxes.

"We have some high potential players who are eager to score goals, but I also expect that from those who are in the prime of their careers." However, winning games and prizes is what matters most to them.

"While confidence plays a significant role—it is not the only factor; there are other factors as well—I believe Rashford to be a big guy. He is a big guy since he has scored a lot of goals and is ranked first among [current] United's goal scorers."

The main complaint of United in Rashford's debut season under Ten Hag was their inability to score goals from other sources. Given that Garnacho is two years older now, the Dutchman's offence has greater punch.

Barnsley manager Clarke is incensed with the team's play.

Darrell Clarke, the manager of Barnsley, was unhappy after leaving Old Trafford as a young United supporter.

"I've attempted to engage them. The performance didn't sit well with me," he stated.

"I was disappointed with our performance, even though I know we are at Manchester United, who have elite players. It was just Mael (de Gevigney) who emerged victorious.

"Were some of them affected by the occasion? Indeed, most likely. We must comprehend what it takes to be among the best players.

Never allow me to overhear one of them discussing how awful certain Premier League players are. They're a long way away.

"The players tonight were well below the calibre of a quality Barnsley player, let alone a top Premier League player.

"It was a proud night for myself but it's been ruined by the performance."