Chapter 406: Invincible
With the conclusion of the 20th round of the Premier League, the grueling Christmas schedule came to a temporary halt, and Premier League teams prepared for the first FA Cup weekend of the new season. Manchester United's first FA Cup opponent this season was Reading.
Reading, once a regular in the Premier League, had been playing in the Championship since their relegation in the summer of 2013. This season, Reading had performed well, sitting third in the Championship after 25 rounds. Clearly, Reading's goal this season was promotion.
However, the gap between a team ranked third in the Championship and the top team in the Premier League is more than just a difference of 21 places.
Despite Mourinho fielding an entirely second-string lineup, giving all the main players, including Bruno, a rest, Manchester United still achieved a resounding home victory.
4-0! The score for the home team is first, followed by the away team.
Manchester United defeated Reading 4-0 at home!
...
In the first 45 minutes, Reading didn't manage any shots or attacks, as they were completely suppressed by Manchester United, barely able to get past the halfway line. Every Manchester United attack threatened Reading's goal.
In the 7th minute, Rooney scored the opening goal, and in the 13th minute, Rashford netted his 10th goal of the season in all competitions.
In the second half of last season, Rashford burst onto the scene, scoring 8 goals in all competitions for Manchester United, stunning the football world.
At the start of the new season, Rashford did not encounter a sophomore slump, already scoring ten goals in all competitions with the season only halfway through.
Many believed that if the Golden Boy award, decided in late October, had been delayed, Rashford would have been a shoo-in, considering Sanches' subsequent form.
In the 36th minute, Rashford scored again, making it 3-0.
In the second half, Reading seemed to wake up and performed slightly better.
Naturally, Mourinho instructed his team to play a solid defense and counter-attack.
It was the logical move, with the team already leading by three goals, the victory secured, and time to ease off.
United's counter-attacks were just as effective. They maintained their three-goal lead and added a fourth from a counter-attack.
Rooney scored this goal.
With Rashford scoring twice and Rooney also netting twice, Rooney's tally for Manchester United rose to 253 goals, continuing to break his own club record.
In contrast, Reading managed several shots in the second half but none on target.
...
The victory over Reading surprised many.
Despite United's recent form, few expected Reading to be beaten so soundly, especially as United fielded a second-string team.
British media praised United's victory, with some even offering lavish praise.
Although a 4-0 win isn't as impressive as 6-0, and Reading is just third in the Championship, United fielded an entirely backup lineup. Despite including stars like Rooney, Mata, and Carrick, these players weren't part of United's main squad. Even the talented Rashford was just an important rotational player.
This backup team still managed to thrash Reading, showcasing United's depth and strength.
After all, Reading's strength isn't much different from Premier League relegation contenders like Hull City, Swansea, and Sunderland.
...
The Sun reported the match with the headline "United Soaring High": "Reading's defense couldn't withstand the home team's frenzied attack, trailing by three goals at halftime. Despite an improved second-half performance, it was too late to recover."
The Times' headline read, "United Advance Strongly to FA Cup Fourth Round," stating, "After a suffocating wave of attacks, United tore the opposition's defense to shreds, making the Championship's third-placed Reading look amateurish."
These reports show how impressed the media were with United's performance.
Reading had been performing excellently in the Championship, securing four consecutive wins. However, against United's second-string lineup, they were dominated, with United controlling everything and deciding the match by halftime. Facing United's relentless pressure, Reading's passing error rate soared to 25%, almost double United's.
One statistic highlighting the gap: United had 23 shots compared to Reading's 13. United also hit the post once, and Reading's goalkeeper made seven heroic saves.
...
Despite the media praise, Reading was just a Championship team, and advancing to the FA Cup fourth round wasn't a big deal for United.
After defeating Reading, United resumed their preparations.
United had a busy January schedule, with five more matches in the next twenty days.
Three days later, on the evening of January 10, in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals, United defeated Hull City 4-1 at home.
Hull City scored within two minutes of the match starting, prompting a furious response from United.
From the start of the second half, United scored three goals in five minutes, turning the game on its head to lead 3-1.
They added a fourth goal in the final moments, sealing a 4-1 victory.
By this time, Hull City had no fight left.
Hull City, who had shown promise early in the season, had fallen back to earth as the season progressed, becoming the Premier League's bottom team. After 20 rounds, they had just 13 points, firmly in last place.
Their coach, former United assistant Mike Phelan, was sacked after the first match of the new year.
In this match, Hull City's new coach Marco Silva admitted post-match, "We made some mistakes, but United capitalized on them perfectly. They deserved the win..."
...
Eighteen consecutive wins!
The victory over Hull City marked United's 18th consecutive win across all competitions!
Since losing to Chelsea in the ninth round of the Premier League, United had been unstoppable, securing 11 straight wins in the Premier League, three in the Europa League, three in the League Cup, and one in the FA Cup.
When Bruno had previously stated in an interview that they aimed to win every upcoming match, many thought he was being overly ambitious.
Now, those doubters were silenced, forced to praise the team that had proved them wrong.
"United are absolutely a 'phenomenal' team!"
"Who is stronger in Europe: United or Juventus?"
"The terrifying Bruno!"
"Ibrahimovic! The Football Jesus!"
...
United achieved what many thought impossible, leading the Premier League with 60 goals in 20 rounds, the highest scoring team in the league. Their average of three goals per game was unmatched in Europe.
This dominance put them at the top of the league, with no one daring to question their position.
United's unparalleled form extended beyond the Premier League, demonstrating unrivaled dominance across all competitions. They remained competitive on all fronts.
The once skeptical voices had now fallen silent.
...
Many United fans began dreaming of May, wondering if this team could win the Premier League, Europa League, League Cup, and FA Cup, becoming the first to achieve such a feat.
Historically, European football had the three major cups: the Champions League, the UEFA Cup, and the Cup Winners' Cup. Winning all three earned a team the "Grand Slam" title.
United had already won the Champions League and the Cup Winners' Cup. Winning the Europa League would make them the fifth team to achieve the Grand Slam, after Juventus, Ajax, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea.
Domestically, the presence of both the League Cup and FA Cup, along with the Premier League, offered three major titles to compete for. While several top clubs like United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester City had won all three, none had done so in a single season.
If United could achieve this historic feat, they would set a new precedent in English football.
However, it was only early 2017, with over five months left in the season. It was still too early to tell.
(End of the chapter)
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