His performances at the World Cup convinced manager Ron Atkinson to start Whiteside alongside Frank Stapleton at the front of United's attack for the 1982–83 season. The pair were similar players in that they held the ball up and made frequent runs into the box, allowing midfielder Bryan Robson to join in the attack. Whiteside scored four goals in the first five games of the campaign, before entering a seventeen-game drought. He scored six goals in 16 games in domestic cup competitions that season, helping Manchester United to the finals of both the League Cup and FA Cup, notably by scoring past Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-finals. At the age of 17 years and 323 days, he beat Liverpool centre-half Alan Hansen to score in the League Cup final defeat at Wembley, making him the youngest player to score in a League Cup final; his consistent performances against Liverpool during the 1980s earned him the moniker of the "Scourge of the Scousers" from United supporters. He gave an assist to Stapleton in the FA Cup Final, which finished as a 2–2 draw with Brighton &amp; Hove Albion. At the age of 18 years and 18 days, he then scored a headed goal in the replay, which United won 4–0, to become the youngest player to score in an FA Cup Final. He also became the first player to score in both domestic cup finals in the same season. He played 57 times in all competitions that season and missed just three league games, scoring a total of 14 goals.