Manchester United advanced in the FA Cup with a victory over Shrewsbury Town, and now the club will play against West Ham in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Manchester United won 3-0 to secure a spot in the sixth round, playing a mostly drama-free match at Greenhous Meadow on Monday. Phil McNulty at the BBC writes that the win gave some "temporary relief" to manager Louis van Gaal, who has been dogged by rumors that he will be replaced by former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
The win puts Manchester United into the next round, and they will host Premier League-rival West Ham at Old Trafford in March for the domestic tournament. Manchester United went up 1-0 in the first half after a goal from Chris Smalling, and the team added another goal before the half from Juan Mata on a free kick.
Shrewsbury never got much going on the offensive side of the pitch, and United was able to add a third goal from Jesse Lingard in the 61st minute to take a 3-0 lead. Manchester United remains in the mix for the Premier League title, but the best chance for some hardware this season could come from the FA Cup. The team last won the FA Cup trophy back in 2004, and now they are one match away from making it to the semifinals.
Chelsea and Everton are set to play in the quarterfinals, while Reading and Crystal Palace also remain alive into the sixth round. Chelsea took down a less-than-stellar Manchester City club 5-1 to advance, while Everton won over Bournemouth 2-0 to move into the next round. Chelsea will have to travel to play Everton in the next round, while Manchester United will host their match at Old Trafford against West Ham.
