Manchester United’s thrilling 4-3 defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Thursday night left the team disappointed, but Joshua Zirkzee was quick to highlight the positive aspects of their performance. Despite trailing 1-0 at halftime, following a goal from Dominic Solanke and costly errors by goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and defender Lisandro Martinez, United showed resilience after the break.
The second half saw a quick turnaround as Zirkzee came on as a substitute and scored United’s first goal of the evening. His strike, coupled with Amad’s goal, briefly gave United hope as the scoreline narrowed to 3-2, and a potential comeback seemed within reach. However, that momentum was quickly halted when Bayindir made another costly mistake, failing to clear a corner, allowing Tottenham to restore their two-goal advantage.
While the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, Zirkzee remained positive about his team’s effort. Speaking to MUTV, he acknowledged the disappointment of the loss but praised the team’s fighting spirit. “Losing is never fun, especially in a cup we could have won,” he said. “It’s disappointing, but we showed great spirit, and I think we can be proud that we never stopped fighting.”
In the dying moments, Jonny Evans added a goal for United, but it was too little too late, and the seven-goal thriller ended in a 4-3 defeat. Zirkzee’s goal and the team’s relentless effort were bright spots in what was otherwise a frustrating night for the Red Devils.