Manchester United v Cardiff City (2018-19)

Manchester United v Cardiff City (2018-19)

Manchester United Cardiff City 0 2
Report
Event	Premier League 2018-19
Date	Sunday 12 May 2019
Venue	Old Trafford, Manchester
Player of the Match	Neil Etheridge
Referee	Jonathan Moss
Attendance	74,457
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Manchester United v Cardiff City was a match which took place at the Old Trafford on Sunday 12 May 2019.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scored twice as relegated Cardiff City won on their final Premier League appearance to heap more misery on Manchester United.

Mendez-Laing opened the scoring for Cardiff from the penalty spot after being brought down in the box by Diogo Dalot, before scoring his second after the break.

Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge proved the visitors' hero as he foiled several United chances on a frustrating day for the hosts, who fielded six academy graduates.

Defeat means United have won just one of their final seven games of the season as city rivals Manchester City won the Premier League title for the second season in succession.

Cardiff travelled to Old Trafford just a week after confirmation of their relegation to the Championship and looked set to bid farewell to the top flight with a whimper as United dominated the opening exchanges.

But it was United who finished the match with their tails between their legs, unable to defy a resolute Bluebirds defence as they rained chance after chance on Etheridge's goal.

Cardiff's victory was their first over Manchester United since 3 April, 1954, when manager Neil Warnock was just five years old.

With Europa League status secured for next season, this campaign proved one to forget for United as they look to rebuild over the summer.

Ander Herrera confirmed this week he would leave the club after a five-year stay, and the exit door at Old Trafford could be busy with Antonio Valencia also departing.

Solskjaer looked to have turned United's fortunes around as they went 12 league games unbeaten after his arrival.

But the wave they were riding crashed in March, and the Norwegian will spend the summer building his own team rather than the one he inherited from Jose Mourinho in December.

But while he will be keen to bring in players from elsewhere, the club's youngsters will no doubt be much involved next season.

At 17 years and 223 days, Mason Greenwood became the youngest player to start a Premier League game for the Red Devils, and he more than showed his potential against Cardiff as the sole ray of sunshine in a gloomy United performance.

He had a handful of chances to score, twice going close with headers before Mendez-Laing scored his first and testing Etheridge not long after with a deflected effort on goal.

Eighteen-year-old Angel Gomes came off the bench late on with he and Greenwood scuffing chances to pull something back for United as they end the season in sixth, 32 points adrift of champions Manchester City.

The 2018-19 season has been one in which Cardiff has united as a club, and manager Warnock was all smiles at full-time despite his side's demotion.

Whether he will still be in charge of the club next season remains to be seen, with owner Vincent Tan keen to retain the 70-year-old who has one more year remaining on his contract.

The Bluebirds can be proud of the performance with which they downed United, weathering an early storm to shock their hosts by taking an early lead.

With nothing at stake, Mendez-Laing coolly slotted home his spot-kick, sending David de Gea the wrong way as his team-mates in defence stopped every United break in its tracks.

It was more of the same after the break as Mendez-Laing, completely unmarked just metres out from the United goal, tapped in a Josh Murphy cross to double his and Cardiff's tally.

But Cardiff had Etheridge to thank for keeping them in the game as the keeper's rapid reactions kept out a Marcus Rashford bullet header just moments after the second goal, before stoppong a powerful Paul Pogba effort with 20 minutes to go.

Cardiff finish the season just three points from safety but with some pride intact.

Match

Details

Sunday 12 May 2019 15:00	Manchester United	0–2	Cardiff City	Old Trafford, Manchester Attendance: 74,457 Referee: Jonathan Moss
		Report

Man Utd

Cardiff City

01 David de Gea 20 Diogo Dalot 74' 12 Chris Smalling 04 Phil Jones 45' 18 Ashley Young 15 Andreas Pereira 74' 39 Scott McTominay 06 Paul Pogba 14 Jesse Lingard 54 Mason Greenwood 10 Marcus Rashford Substitutes: 08 Juan Mata 11 Anthony Martial 45' 17 Fred 22 Sergio Romero 25 Antonio Valencia 74' 37 James Garner 47 Angel Gomes 74' Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjær

01 Neil Etheridge 02 Lee Peltier 04 Sean Morrison 05 Bruno Ecuele Manga 03 Joe Bennett 19 Nathaniel Mendez-Laing 80' 15 Leandro Bacuna 17 Aron Gunnarsson 58' 11 Josh Murphy 14 Bobby Reid 10 Kenneth Zohore 74' Substitutes: 06 Jazz Richards 58' 09 Danny Ward 74' 18 Greg Cunningham 23 Kadeem Harris 28 Brian Murphy 32 Rhys Healey 33 Junior Hoilett 80' Manager: Neil Warnock

See also

• 2018-19 Premier League: Match day 38

Final League Table

2018–19 Premier League Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Manchester City  (C)	38	32	2	4	95	23	+72	98	Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2	Liverpool	38	30	7	1	89	22	+67	97
3	Chelsea	38	21	9	8	63	39	+24	72
4	Tottenham	38	23	2	13	67	39	+28	71
5	Arsenal	38	21	7	10	73	51	+22	70	Qualification for the Europa League group stage
6	Manchester Utd	38	19	9	10	67	52	+15	66
7	Wolves	38	16	9	13	47	46	+1	57	Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round
8	Everton	38	15	9	14	54	46	+8	54
9	Leicester City	38	15	7	16	51	48	+3	52
10	West Ham Utd	38	15	7	16	52	55	−3	52
11	Watford	38	14	8	16	52	59	−7	50
12	Crystal Palace	38	14	7	17	51	53	−2	49
13	Newcastle Utd	38	12	9	17	42	48	−6	45
14	Bournemouth	38	13	6	19	56	70	−14	45
15	Burnley	38	11	7	20	45	68	−23	40
16	Southampton	38	9	12	17	45	65	−20	39
17	Brighton	38	9	9	20	35	60	−25	36
18	Cardiff City  (R)	38	10	4	24	34	69	−35	34	Relegation to EFL Championship
19	Fulham  (R)	38	7	5	26	34	81	−47	26
20	Huddersfield Town  (R)	38	3	7	28	22	76	−54	16

Source: Barclays Premier League
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round; (Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament

External links

• Match report at BBC.co.uk

Cardiff City v Manchester United

Premier League

2018–19