Manchester United only won one trophy in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season, but it’s the one that mattered. Indeed, the Premier League triumph may well have been more straightforward because of an early exit from the League Cup.
United were one point behind Roberto di Matteo’s Chelsea when the Blues eliminated them from the competition in the fourth round. By the time of the quarter-finals United were six points clear of Manchester City with Chelsea a further four adrift.
Ferguson’s team travelled to Stamford Bridge on Halloween 2012, Marcus Rashford’s 15th birthday and the day after Arsenal beat Reading 7-5. We’re not saying United’s selection that night contributed to them shipping five goals, but we’re not not saying that.
GK: Anders Lindegaard
The 2012-13 season was Lindegaard’s busiest, with the Dane briefly taking David de Gea’s starting place when the first-choice keeper went through a difficult patch of form.
He played 13 games that season – and would end his United career with just 29 in total – including the 5-5 draw with West Brom that brought the curtain down on Ferguson’s tenure.
After spells with West Brom, Preston and Burnley, largely as a backup, Lindegaard joined Swedish side Helsingborgs for their 2019 season and helped them retain their top-flight status in their first season back in the Allsvenskan. He’s still there today, turning out between the sticks at the age of 38.
RB: Rafael
One of the more senior players in United’s XI, Rafael played 28 league games in 2012-13 and scored a career-high three goals. None in this game, though.
The Brazilian arguably suffered more than anyone else as a result of Ferguson’s retirement, falling out of favour under subsequent managers and leaving for Lyon in 2015.
Rafael then spent five years with the Ligue 1 giants, making over 100 appearances, before departing for reigning Turkish Super Lig champions Istanbul Basaksehir in 2020. Last summer he returned to Brazil, signing for Botafogo, the club he and Fabio supported growing up.
CB: Michael Keane
Having made his full debut against Newcastle United in the previous round of the League Cup, Keane earned another start at Stamford Bridge, only for the game to seemingly indicate to his manager that the academy product was not ready for the Premier League.
Keane was loaned out to Leicester City the next day, playing more than 20 games for the Foxes and helping them reach the play-offs, but he only played once in the…
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