Man Utd won 2-0 against Man City in the Premier League on Saturday and here are the moments you might have missed.
Manchester United won 2-0 against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. United announced the appointment of Michael Carrick as head coach for the remainder of the season on Tuesday, and the former midfielder made the perfect start by securing a superb derby win.
Bryan Mbeumo broke the deadlock in the second half and Patrick Dorgu extended the advantage. Mason Mount came close to putting the icing on the cake with another goal but the midfielder was ruled offside.
Here are the moments you might have missed and talking points…
Carrick looked emotional
“It’s Carrick, you know, you’ll never believe he’s not Scholes,” belted around Old Trafford after the final whistle. Martinez embraced Kobbie Mainoo, while Mbeumo and Amad shared a few emotional words.
Carrick took a moment to celebrate with his staff before making his way onto the pitch to soak it up. Pep Guardiola was isolated as he stood on his own to applaud the City away section.
There was also a lap of appreciation. United have made their way around Old Trafford after each game this season, but more fans stayed behind to clap those in red shirts than ever before. Carrick looked like he had a tear in his eye as he eventually disappeared back down the tunnel.
Passion from Carrick
Dorgu was involved in a tangle with Abdukodir Khusanov just outside the City penalty area in the first half, but referee Anthony Taylor was not interested, so Luke Shaw took laying down the law into his own hands and made a crunching tackle in the next phase of play, which earned him a booking.
Carrick began to furiously rant to the fourth official when Taylor decided not to award a foul for Khusanov’s grappling, and he looked even angrier when Shaw was handed a yellow card.
It’s up for debate how much complaining to the fourth official can actually influence the outcome of game, but it was interesting to see another side of Carrick after a workmanlike first press conference.
Ruben Amorim made headlines with his comments and eventually talked himself out of a job. Carrick did not provide any explosive copy to journalists during his press conference, however, when the players cross the white line, he comes alive and appears to be pretty fierce on the touchline.
Carrick spoke about how much United means to him in the build-up to the Manchester derby, and that was evident as he celebrated both goals. Pundits have scoffed at the importance of having ‘United DNA’, but Carrick ‘gets it’ and oversaw a special victory in his first game in charge.
Brilliant Mbeumo
Mbeumo received rapturous applause from each corner of the ground when he was replaced by Matheus Cunha with 20 minutes remaining, with fans showing appreciation for his deadlock-breaking goal.
There was a feeling of inevitability when Fernandes slipped Mbeumo into the box following a swift counter-attack. The Cameroon international is deadly in those scenarios and buried his shot into the bottom corner.
The extent of the applause for Mbeumo wasn’t a surprise considering he’d just scored in the Manchester derby, but it was notable that almost every fan in the ground rose to their feet in a show of appreciation.
The fact that Cunha was introduced for Mbeumo is also a sign of progress. United were in doldrums last season and could only dream of having such an excellent attacking option on the bench.
Carrick’s smart plan
Travis Binnion was promoted from his position as Under-21 boss to work with Darren Fletcher during his caretaker stint, and Binnion retained his role in the backroom staff when Carrick’s appointment was confirmed.
Binnion was not in the dug-out alongside Carrick, Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans, though, as he watched the game from behind the press box to pass on information to the touchline.
The theory is that a coach can offer a different perspective from a bird’s-eye view. Binnion passed on in-game feedback down to the bench, and Woodgate was spotted wearing an earpiece to receive it. It may have played a small role in the victory.
Maguire’s contrast of emotions
Harry Maguire was recalled to the team and came inches away from making a dream return to the side when he smacked the crossbar with a header just three minutes into the game.
Maguire was two yards out and should have scored. Carrick reacted by jumping up and down on the touchline, while Maguire buried his head into his hands as he returned to his position.
The reaction from the England international said it all, as a goal at the beginning of the game would have sent Old Trafford rocking. Maguire probably feared that United wouldn’t create as many chances as good as the one he had just spurned, but they outclassed City in Carrick’s first game, and the defender was fist-pumping at the final whistle.
Leaked team? No problem
The starting team was leaked before kick-off, which wouldn’t have pleased Carrick ahead of his first game in charge as head coach. The same happened before the Manchester derby in December 2024 when Ruben Amorim was in charge – and the leaks were addressed following that match.
The Premier League is incredibly competitive this term and matches are decided by fine margins, so Carrick would have been irritated by City being handed a small advantage ahead of kick-off.
Carrick has enough on his plate after his return without needing to find out where team news leaks have come from, but he will have to investigate how the information leaked this week. Despite being informed of United’s team, City were still played off the park, though.
