Manchester United progressed into the semi-finals of the EFL Cup with a thumping 4-1 victory over West Ham at Old Trafford.

Braces from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial eased United into the semi-finals, where they will face Hull for a place in the final at Wembley.

A man of the match display from Henrikh Mkhitaryan will have impressed manager Jose Mourinho, who was banned from the touchline after being charged for improper conduct by the FA during Sunday's 1-1 draw against the same opposition.

The Theatre of Dreams erupted as veteran midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger returned to first-team action for the final ten minutes, and had a hand in the fourth goal.

The defence

Goalkeeper - David de Gea - 4: The Spaniard had very little involvement in the game as the Hammers' attack posed no threat to the United defence for the majority of the game. Their goal came through an uncharacteristic de Gea mistake, as he parried a Dimitri Payet strike to former Red Devils starlet Ashley Fletcher.

Right-back - Antonio Valencia - 7: Valencia has possibly been the most consistent performer for United this season. The Ecuadorian was an energetic presence as he bombed down the right, but never seemed out of position when West Ham struck back. His crosses always looked potent and dangerous, and his low driven ball to tee up Martial for his second goal was perfectly weighted.

Centre-back - Phil Jones - 8: Jones' return to the United side has been brilliant. He's slotted in after a very long injury lay-off as if he was never gone. He's formed a very solid partnership with Rojo, and looked hugely comfortable on the ball. Former United striker Fletcher posed very little danger to either he or Rojo throughout the night.

Centre-back - Marcos Rojo - 8: The Argentinian has seized his opportunity at centre-back, stepping in for the injured Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly. His previous liabilities at left-back seem to have disappeared since he moved inside the defence, and put in another very solid display at Old Trafford.

Left-back - Luke Shaw - 6: Shaw returned to the side with a measured display at the Theatre of Dreams. He had the measure of winger Sofiane Feghouli and never looked in any danger. His attacking work was not top notch, though. He was pretty wasteful when he did venture forward and should have got forward more based on the lack of attacking threat that West Ham posed.

The midfield

Centre-midfielder - Michael Carrick - 7: The Englishman was present for yet another United victory; he seems a good luck charm in this side. His forward thinking and attacking instincts help set-up many an attacking move, and his calm presence rendered the West Ham attack powerless to break his control.

Centre-midfielder - Ander Herrera - 7: Herrera has been a stand-out performer for United this term, and continued his rich vein of form on Wednesday night. He fluidly linked defence and attack and broke up the play very effectively, one of his premier assets. His skill and composure in the final third was shown as he pressed past Reid with stepovers to play in Ibrahimovic.

Centre-attacking midfielder - Wayne Rooney- 8: The skipper is back in form, as was shown in another fiery display at Old Trafford. The United and England captain has the look of a man with something to prove since the media debacle over his drinking while on international duty. He was a huge creative influence on the side and looked composed in everything he did, other than the yellow card for a dissent after a Pedro Obiang dive saw him cautioned. His quick thinking from a throw-in set-up the late United fourth goal, as he slotted through Schweinsteiger.

The attack

Right winger - Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 9: The Armenian adds another dimension to the United attack. His link-up play and runs off the ball caused havoc among the West Ham defence. His two assists were a throwback to his times of intense creativity at Borussia Dortmund, where he was the Bundesliga player of the year last season. His backheel to play in Ibrahimovic was world-class, a flick that won't be forgotten by the Old Trafford faithful for a good while. He showed great composure to pull the ball back for Martial's first goal, to put the Red Devils back in the lead.

Left winger - Anthony Martial - 9: The Frenchman has struggled for first-team opportunities this term, with poor form and injuries blighting his season. He returned to form in emphatic style against the Irons. His energetic runs and direct play, sprinting at terrified West Ham defenders. He exposed Michail Antonio as he played out of position, running straight past him on many occasions. He was in the right places at the right times to slot in his two goals.

Striker - Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 9: Ibrahimovic silenced his doubters with yet another very impressive display. His link up play with his fellow attackers was exemplary as United put in a fluid attacking display. A constant physical force, he posed continuous problems to the West Ham centre-halves Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna. He took his two goals with the ease that has always graced his game, a sumptuous dink over Adrian, and a very straightforward tap in from five yards out.

The Substitutes

Daley Blind - 5: The Dutchman replaced the injured Shaw at half-time and had very little to do as the Hammers were dominated into submission in the second half. He didn't provide a lot going forward as United had plenty of other attackers to do so, but looked relatively solid for the most part. Feghouli had more joy against him than Shaw, but nothing came of this new-found freedom.

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About the author
Ryan Fisher
Sports Journalism at University of Central Lancashire. Manchester United fan. General sports enthusiast, football, cricket, tennis and formula 1 mostly though