Manchester United hit five in strong start post-Ten Hag, Spurs knock City out of the EFL Cup

Ruud van Nistelrooy commenced his tenure as interim manager of Manchester United with a resounding victory, defeating Leicester City 5-2 to advance to the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday, while Manchester City suffered a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal and Liverpool also secured their spots in the last eight, whereas Chelsea faced a 2-0 loss at the hands of Newcastle United.

A celebrated figure in United's history, Van Nistelrooy was appointed interim manager following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag on Monday, which came after a disappointing start to the season. The English club has identified Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim as their preferred candidate for the managerial position, but negotiations are ongoing with the Portuguese club regarding compensation for the 39-year-old.

Reports from Portugal indicate that Amorim is expected to remain with Sporting for the next three matches before finalizing his move during the international break in November. Prior to the match, Van Nistelrooy expressed confidence that United "can be unstoppable" when "players, staff, and supporters unite," and the team demonstrated this by scoring four goals in an exhilarating first half.

Casemiro initiated the scoring with a spectacular strike into the top corner, followed by Alejandro Garnacho, who netted from Diogo Dalot's cross, much to Van Nistelrooy's delight on the sidelines.

Bilal El Khannoussi quickly responded with a goal for the heavily altered Leicester side. Bruno Fernandes restored United's two-goal advantage with a deflected free-kick, and Casemiro added his second goal of the match, marking his third in two games.

Conor Coady managed to score another consolation goal for Leicester, but United secured only their second victory in nine matches. Fernandes capped off the scoring by capitalizing on a short back-pass, rounding Danny Ward to find the net.

Meanwhile, City faced repercussions for omitting Erling Haaland from their lineup in north London, as Tottenham edged closer to breaking their 16-year trophy drought.

Timo Werner scored his first goal since March, converting from Dejan Kulusevski's well-placed cross. Pape Sarr's long-range effort extended Spurs' lead before Matheus Nunes pulled one back for City just before half-time.

However, they were unable to secure an equalizer, and Pep Guardiola demonstrated his priorities by keeping Haaland on the bench for the entire match.

Cody Gakpo emerged as the decisive player for Liverpool in their 3-2 victory over Brighton, further solidifying Arne Slot's impressive tenure with the team. Although Gakpo had not found the net in the Premier League or Champions League this season, he has now scored four goals in two League Cup matches. The Dutch international displayed his finishing prowess with two powerful shots, cutting in from the left wing onto his right foot.

Luis Diaz also contributed to Liverpool's scoreline, while Simon Adingra and Tariq Lamptey netted late goals for Brighton.

Teenager Ethan Nwaneri impressed with a remarkable goal as Arsenal secured a 3-0 victory against Championship side Preston. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz added the other goals for the Gunners.

Newcastle avenged their Premier League loss to Chelsea over the weekend, alleviating some pressure on manager Eddie Howe. The Saudi-backed Magpies have struggled in the league, remaining winless in five matches, but are eager to end a 55-year drought for a major trophy.

A goal from Alexander Isak and an own goal by Axel Disasi within the first three minutes of the first half proved crucial at St. James' Park.

Crystal Palace followed up their first Premier League victory of the season on Sunday by defeating Aston Villa 2-1, with goals from Eberechi Eze and Daichi Kamada.