As we enter the first international break of 2021, the four quarter-finals of the FA Cup were played out on the weekend.
Some of the biggest clubs in English football remained but there was one major casualty, as Manchester United were eliminated from the competition by Leicester City.
There is no doubt Leicester City deserved their victory and they were the better team for much of the match. Even when Manchester United scored their equalising goal towards the end of the first half, it was barely deserved for the Red Devils and they struggled to compete with the Foxes throughout the 90 minutes.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided to leave Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw out but when you have paid good money to bring in Donny van de Beek and Alex Telles, neither of whom have played much football since they arrived at Old Trafford in the summer, it is difficult to point the finger at the manager.
In what has been an incredibly busy time for professional footballers, players need a break and Solskjaer cannot be criticised for deciding to give some players a rest.
Speaking after the game, Solskjaer said, “We didn't have the spark tonight - but it's understandable. This team have been fantastic in the last three or four months. We played every three days and been on a great run.
It just caught up with us - all the games and travels. Thursday night in Milan was a big night and took a lot of out of us physically. We didn't have the extra zip, authority and confidence.”
Judging by the comments, it is clear Solskjaer decided to prioritise the Europa League over the FA Cup but is that justified? If you look at the quality of the teams remaining in the Europa League this season, Arsenal are probably the biggest threat for Manchester United if the Red Devils manage to get through against Granada.
Manchester United will then face either Ajax or Roma over two legs, a tie they would enter as favourites against either team.
However, progress to the FA Cup semi-final could have seen a draw against either Manchester City or Chelsea.
As it happened, both clubs were drawn against each other in the semi-final but if Manchester United had gone to defeat Southampton, they would have met one of the two teams in the final, which would have been an extremely difficult game.
So, in terms of the level of the competition, perhaps Manchester United have a greater chance of success in the Europa League despite having to play a greater number of matches to reach the final.
Progress has been made in the Premier League but a good Manchester United manager must win trophies and there is just one remaining on the table for Solskjaer this season.
The Norwegian does not have a good record when it comes to the latter stages of competitions and that is going to have to change if Manchester United are to win the Europa League.
Despite elimination from the FA Cup, this is still a lot in this season for the Red Devils but they cannot afford another performance like they produced against Leicester City.