Rashford stunner stops Chelsea in their tracks

LONDON (Reuters): Marcus Rashford’s “bolt from the blue” stopped resurgent Chelsea in their tracks as his sensational free kick fired Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford scores their second goal – Reuters

With 73 minutes on the clock and Chelsea beginning to dominate after Michy Batshuayi’s superb equaliser, Rashford lined up a free kick 40 metres out and sent the ball dipping and swerving past a helpless Willy Caballero.

Rashford had given a near full-strength United a deserved halftime lead from the penalty spot after Welshman Daniel James had been fouled by Marcos Alonso.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side held out reasonably comfortably to claim a third successive away victory having previously not won on the road since March.

It was United’s second win over Chelsea this season, having beaten them 4-0 on the opening day of the Premier League.

Since then Frank Lampard’s youthful Chelsea side have responded superbly and had won their last seven matches in all competitions to move into the Premier League’s top four.

United, however, have laboured since but there are encouraging signs that they are beginning to hit their stride and Solskjaer appears to have targeted the League Cup.

The draw for the quarter-finals is on Thursday in which United will be joined by Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Everton, Colchester United and Oxford.