Some Southampton fans have been talking about the League Cup final of 2017 when they had controversially lost to Manchester United.
The Carabao Cup Twitter account recently posted a video of a goal that Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored against Southampton in the League Cup final of the 2016-17 season. The post called the Swede a ‘hero’ for his brace on the day to help Jose Mourinho’s men clinch the trophy.
On reading this post, many Southampton fans were fuming. They feel they were robbed and that United had the linesman as their ‘hero’ instead of Ibrahimovic.
Wasnt the lino their hero that day!? ?
— Mike Buggy (@mbuggy87) March 31, 2020
We were robbed.
— Craig (@CRA1G94) March 31, 2020
If only VAR was a thing ?????
— Ryan Davies (@ryanrd1905) March 31, 2020
Did Southampton deserve to lose the League Cup final of 2017?
No, we were robbed
We deserved to lose
Ah, another classic example of awful officiating.
— Ryan Hanks (@RyanHan92251187) March 31, 2020
….after we were cheated out of a goal…
— Scott Dyer (@ScottyDyer3) March 31, 2020
The officials were their heroes that day
— ?? (@Bxdnarek) March 31, 2020
The game had been played at Wembley and it saw United win 3-2 in normal time. Manolo Gabbiadini had scored twice for Claude Puel’s men after the Saints had found themselves 2-0 down thanks to goals from Ibrahimovic and Jesse Lingard.
Gabbiadini did score again, but he was flagged offside. Ibrahimovic’s winner came late in the game.
What do we think?
One can see why Saints fans are still bitter about that result in 2017, considering Gabbiadini indeed was onside in a goal that could have handed him a hat-trick. That could have changed the complexion of the game and the result could have been different.
But it has been three years since that happened and Southampton fans should move on from it and focus on the present.