A Romelu Lukaku double saw Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United through to the quarter finals of the FA Cup following a workmanlike performance in drizzly West Yorkshire.
United had to defend around their own box for much of the game, but were clinical on the few occasions they reached the opponent’s. There was also some VAR fun as Juan Mata had a goal disallowed for offside which indicated that the new technology will not be giving the benefit of any doubt to the attacker.
The front three of Lukaku, Mata, and Alexis Sanchez were barely involved at certain points of the game, but when they were able to get on the ball and find space their class and extra quality showed.
Huddersfield enjoyed more possession and had more shots on goal than their opposition, but couldn’t produce when in mattered, unlike United, who sprang out of the traps to take an early lead which they never surrendered.
Lukaku latched onto Mata's through ball with just three minutes gone, and instead of rushing a shot on his left foot he checked his run, made space for himself by wrong-footing Christopher Schindler, and tucked the ball inside Jonas Lossl’s near post with his right boot.
From that moment onwards David Wagner's side took control of the game in midfield, but they weren't clinical enough in the final third, where United defended in numbers. Tom Ince saw a shot drift harmlessly wide, Collin Quaner almost got lucky with a cross which had to be tipped over by Sergio Romero, and Steve Mounie was only inches away from turning in a Florent Hadergjonaj cross.
The Swiss full back saw plenty of the ball and was given acres of space down the right flank, as Sanchez lurked behind him on the periphery of the game, something which visibly frustrated the Chilean at times.
Mourinho urged his players forward from the touchline at every opportunity, but they struggled to connect with their passing combinations in the centre of the park and regularly gave the ball away.
Huddersfield Midfielders Philip Billing and Danny Williams tried their luck with shots from distance but they were easy for Romero to handle, as was a Rajiv van La Parra header from Ince's cross. They looked good in their build-up play, had their stadium rocking, and had several attempts on goal, but couldn't make the difference where it mattered.
A Mata goal just before half time would have been difficult to take for the Terriers and their fans, but after consulting with the video assistant referee, the Spaniard was adjudged to have been offside when Ashley Young played the ball through.
The VAR decision itself was questionable, and the supposedly straight lines shown on the TV screens, used to assist with offside decisions, were not parallel with the 18 yard box.
“Leaning offside” was the explanation given for Mata's infringement, but the only things which seemed to be leaning questionably were the squiggly lines which one hopes weren’t official, and looked like they'd been traced over the TV screen by hand.
The home side threatened again at the start of the second half, and an Ince free kick in a dangerous area was well blocked by the upper edge of the United wall on its way to goal.
Then the quality within Mourinho’s side showed itself again. Sanchez played a defence destroying through-ball for Lukaku and the Belgian made no mistake when one on one with Lossl, doubling his side’s lead.
The visitors were subdued throughout and allowed Huddersfield to play football, pepper Romero with harmless shots from distance, and run into space on the flanks, but in the game’s key moments United were ruthless.
This eventually wore the Terriers out, mentally as much as physically, and Sanchez began to have more involvement in the game until he was replaced by Anthony Martial with fifteen minutes to go.
The Frenchman added a sprinkle of entertainment to the proceedings late in the game, even though he was another attacking player whose involvement was fleeting.
Substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri headed an Ince corner over the bar for the hosts with around five minutes to go, but United looked comfortable despite showing little fluency.
If Mourinho’s plan was to drill his defence in a game situation and rely on his stars up front to do the business, then it worked. Despite murmurs of discontent regarding the side’s style, and the shadow of their city rivals looming annoyingly over Old Trafford, they’re still in domestic and European cup competitions, and remain second in the Premier League.
If their midfield manage to click, behind a front three who can score in any situation, they could yet add another trophy to last season’s collection.
The task now for Huddersfield is to remain in the Premier League, and the one solace they can take from this FA Cup exit is that they can now focus solely on that.