At Old Trafford, Manchester United may have dominated Crystal Palace en route to advancing easily to the Carabao Cup’s fourth round, but just 17 miles away, their under-21 team was receiving its own lesson from Bolton.

Travis Binnion’s under-21 team suffered a humiliating 8-1 loss against League One team Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Trophy game at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

Some United fans chose to go to the game in Bolton rather than the senior team’s 3-0 victory against Palace; many of them had anti-Glazer placards with them.

But United’s youngsters were blown away by Bolton, who won the EFL Trophy last season, as the home side chalked up their biggest competitive victory in 40 years.

Wanderers had the game wrapped-up before half time as they led 4-0 thanks to two goals from Josh Sheehan, and strikes from Dan Nlundulu and Gethin Jones.

Nlundulu scored his second goal shortly after the restart, and Wanderers later added goals from Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Nelson Khumbeni, and Luke Matheson, who came on as substitutes, to complete the rout. 

Matheson is no stranger to scoring against the Red Devils; in fact, in 2019, when he was 16 years old and playing for Rochdale, he scored against United’s first squad in a match that the Premier League team ultimately won on penalties.  

Omari Forsen’s goal midway through the second half gave United a small reprieve and stopped Neil Baxter, but it was little solace for Binnon’s team. 

Erik ten Hag’s first team breezed through their opening game in Carabao Cup defense as their kids struggled in the EFL Trophy.