Rashford: World-class De Gea kept Man Utd in Carabao Cup tie

The striker believes a string of saves from the Spaniard is responsible for keeping the two-legged affair competitive ahead of the return leg

Marcus Rashford says the Manchester United should be thankful to David de Gea for keeping them in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City following a 3-1 first-leg defeat to at Old Trafford.

United slumped to a 3-0 half-time deficit but restored some hope when Rashford, captaining the side for the first time, netted after the break.

However, the 22-year-old has said that it is the team’s shot-stopper who should be credited with keeping them in with a shout heading into the return match, which will be played at the Etihad Stadium on January 29.

“For me, it wasn’t the goal that gives us a chance,” he told the club’s official website. “David made three or four world-class saves and that’s the reason we’re still in the tie. We have to understand that. 

“They changed a little bit from the last time we played against them. Maybe we have to adapt a little bit more on the pitch as players and try to control the game a little bit more. It’s tough against them – they’re a good team – but we have to expect more from ourselves.

“It’s disappointing to lose the game. The first half wasn’t good enough. The second half was a little bit better and a little bit more like ourselves. But today we weren’t good enough to win the game. Now we have to focus on Norwich.”

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For the England striker, the result certainly took the shine off what was otherwise a special night for him.

“It’s a nice feeling to captain the side for the first time, but it’s the result that matters and we didn’t manage to get the win,” he said.

Despite the outcome, he remains cautiously optimistic that there is a chance of turning the tie around, having performed a similar two-goal salvage operation in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain last season.

“It’s a different game, different players,” he said. “But what we found in Paris, we have to find that in us again. We have to go there and score goals and win the game.”

Next up for United is a trip to Norwich in the Premier League as they seek to end a three-game winless streak.