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2022/23 English FA Cup
Fourth round
Manchester United v Reading
Old Trafford
Manchester, England
Saturday, 28 January 2023
Kick-off is at 22h00
Manchester United will be hoping to put last weekend's disappointment behind them when they host Reading in the
FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, January 28.
The Red Devils were beaten 3-2 by Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday, with Eddie Nketiah scoring a last-minute winner at the Emirates Stadium.
Erik Ten Hag's side had been held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace earlier in the week, which halted a five-match winning streak in the league and they'll be targeting a big response against the Championship club.
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United have won the world's oldest cup competition 12 times and they eliminated top-flight rivals Everton with a 3-1 victory at Old Trafford in the previous round.
Ten Hag admits the week ahead is an important one for his players as they face Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup semi-finals on Wednesday before taking on the Royals at the weekend.
"It's a big week, so I can imagine that the players are ready for it - to face this big week," the Dutchman said. "We already have seen how the mentality from the players has changed over the last couple of months.
"But we also have to notice [that] today [against Arsenal] that we still have a way to go and to be on top level.
"I also told the players: 'If you want to win trophies, titles - we have to change our mentality. It is not possible that you are in a top game, making three such big mistakes, where you concede goals and especially the last goal."
Reading manager Paul Ince will be plotting a huge upset against his former club, having spent a successful six seasons at Old Trafford as a player.
The Royals have only ever beaten United once in 15 FA Cup encounters, which came all the way back in January 1927 but Ince is targeting a historic feat.
Ince's team saw off Watford in the third round but are winless in their last two league outings and suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Stoke last weekend.
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Ince expressed his disappointment with the performance against the Potters and admitted his players cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes against the Red Devils if they want to stay in the competition.
"It is all our own doing. Three of their goals came from our defensive mistakes. And if I could have taken off every outfield player at half-time, I would have," he said.
"We didn't create enough and defensively we were so, so poor. My teams compete. But we didn't compete from minute one... we can't afford to make mistakes like we did today."
Head-to-Head (Last Five FA Cup Meetings)
Matches - 5
Man united - 4
Reading - 0
Draws - 1
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