Manchester United look nice worth to finish their six-year anticipate silverware in Erik ten Hag’s first season in cost at Outdated Trafford.
Within the phrases of the Dutchman himself, that’s far too lengthy a anticipate a membership of United’s stature to go between trophies.
United followers haven’t had an enormous quantity to cheer since their 2016-17 EFL Cup triumph, however that might quickly be about to alter.
The Crimson Devils stay in top-four rivalry within the Premier League, are nearly as good as within the EFL Cup remaining and are additionally nonetheless within the hunt to win the Europa League and FA Cup.
After seeing off Everton 3-1 in spherical three of the latter, United now have a gathering with second-tier Studying – managed by ex-Crimson Satan Paul Ince – for a spot within the final 16.
Forward of Saturday’s contest at Outdated Trafford, Stats Carry out picks out a few of the standout Opta numbers.
Feeling up for the #FACup!#MUFC pic.twitter.com/rEecDecTh9
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 27, 2023
We meet once more
You’d be proper in considering this fixture has a way of familiarity about it, with this the eleventh time the 2 sides have been paired within the FA Cup.
That can make this the joint-ninth most-played fixture within the competitors’s historical past since 1912, with Arsenal versus Chelsea and Everton in opposition to Liverpool (15) prime of that checklist.
United have superior from 9 of these earlier 10 ties, the one exception being a 2-1 loss when the perimeters met in a second replay within the third-round stage in 1926-27.
Amongst FA Cup ties to have been performed at the least six occasions, solely 5 groups can higher United’s 90-per-cent win price in opposition to a single opponent within the competitors.
A one-sided affair
The one-sided nature of this fixture shouldn’t be reserved solely for the FA Cup, both.
Studying have received simply one in all their 22 video games in opposition to United when taking all competitions into consideration and have misplaced six in a row.
Certainly, you need to return to that cup tie 96 years in the past for the final time the Royals got here out on prime in opposition to United, with that match staged at Villa Park.
Throughout United’s six-match successful run in opposition to Studying, they’ve racked up 15 objectives and stored three clear sheets in a row.
Proper Royal distress
Studying know they should pull off a giant upset if they’re to advance, however their report in opposition to Premier League sides suggests that won’t be taking place this weekend.
They’ve misplaced seven of their previous eight FA Cup matches in opposition to Premier League opposition, with their 3-1 win over West Brom in February 2016 the outlier in that sequence.
United are rightly thought of big favourites for this match, then, not least as a result of they’ve misplaced solely one in all their previous 39 residence video games in opposition to groups from outdoors the highest tier.
Ten Hag’s facet are unbeaten in 14 matches at Outdated Trafford within the FA Cup in opposition to any opponent in a run stretching again to a 2-1 loss to Arsenal in 2015.
Europe’s hottest participant
It doesn’t assist issues that Studying have endured an inconsistent marketing campaign within the Championship, whereas United have – a couple of video games apart – impressed within the prime flight.
Ten Hag deserves big reward for his early work at United, which incorporates getting way more out of Marcus Rashford in an attacking sense.
The England worldwide has scored 10 objectives in 10 video games because the World Cup – a tally no different participant throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues can match.
Rashford netted a late penalty within the earlier spherical and has now been concerned in 5 objectives in his previous 5 FA Cup appearances, scoring two and helping three extra.
That would spell dangerous information for Studying, in opposition to whom Rashford scored his solely earlier brace within the competitors in a 4-0 third-round victory in January 2017.