Key Highlights :
Manchester United’s hopes of lifting three trophies this season were dashed in humbling fashion against Sevilla on Thursday evening, and Liverpool icon Robbie Fowler made sure to poke fun. The Red Devils had been looking to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League after the first-leg finished 2-2, but they ended up walking away on the wrong end of a 3-0 defeat.
United’s elimination also ended their hopes of a “Mickey Mouse treble”, having already claimed the Carabao Cup against Newcastle earlier this campaign. They do however remain firmly in the running to claim the FA Cup and face a showdown with Brighton in the semi-finals of the competition this weekend.
In the aftermath of their European exit, Fowler fired a subtle dig towards United on Twitter, sharing an image of him alongside both Jamie Redknapp and Sami Hyypia holding the then UEFA Cup, League Cup and FA Cup after Liverpool lifted all three trophies during the 2000/01 campaign. The post was accompanied by the caption “Mickey Mouse treble,” alongside a laughing crying emoji to hint at the fact that their treble does not quite rank as highly as the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
To make matters worse for United, it appears that they might not be the only club in England to have claimed a treble. As it stands, the Red Devils are the only side to have enjoyed a treble-winning season since the inception of the Premier League, having won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, Red Devils icon Gary Neville is concerned that record could be matched by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side this campaign. The reigning Premier League champions are still in the race to retain their title, whilst they are also still in the Champions League and FA Cup where they will play Real Madrid and Sheffield United respectively.
Man United will be aiming to recover from their Europa League exit this weekend as they take on in-form Brighton at Wembley Stadium. The Red Devils will be hoping to make it to the FA Cup final and end the season with some silverware, but it will not be the “Mickey Mouse treble” that they had been dreaming of.