Manchester United produced their best performance in nearly two years as they beat Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford under Michael Carrick.
Three questions, Michael: how long would you like on your contract, what would you like your salary to be, and where would you like your statue?
Manchester United said they wouldn’t get carried away this time, but when Old Trafford rocks as it did on Saturday, it can be hard not to. You can guarantee that Michael Carrick is a shorter price to get the job on a permanent basis now than he was when he woke up on Saturday morning.
He couldn’t have dreamt it would go this well. This was United’s best performance of the season by a long, long way. It was probably their best performance since beating the same opponents in the 2024 FA Cup final. Carrick addressed a group of players on Wednesday morning who had looked beaten down at the end of another manager and after a dismal run of form in a forgiving run of fixtures.
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To bring about this improvement in three training sessions is an eye-opening achievement. United were clever, sharper and more intense than City. Rarely can they have dominated a derby to this extent in the Pep Guardiola era. When the Catalan went to the away end at full-time, he was greeted by empty seats. City fans had long since seen the writing on the wall.
Guardiola had wrapped his hands around Carrick when the whistle went and whispered a few words in his ear. See you next season, perhaps? There’s plenty more work to be done until that happens but this felt like a day when the 44-year-old put himself firmly in contention for the job.
He added Guardiola to Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery in the list of managers he has bested while in the United dugout. There was a draw against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea as well. That is already quite the CV and whatever happens, he will never forget this day.
It had been more than three years since United had last been able to celebrate a derby goal at Old Trafford. That Marcus Rashford strike earned them a victory in January 2023 during a 20-game unbeaten run at home in Erik ten Hag’s first season.
For a while, it looked like the Dutchman had cracked the code, but it proved to be yet another false dawn. They’ve got used to those around here. Amorim has just overseen another wasted 14 months and how futile those dark days look now.
Amorim forced United into a tactical straitjacket, his desire to match up the Premier League’s worst team the final straw for a club desperate to see some enterprise and ambition on the pitch once again. Carrick delivered that. Four at the back. Fernandes freed up. Pace and invention on the wings. No wonder Sir Alex Ferguson was smiling.
United played from the first minute as if they had been reinvigorated by Carrick’s return. Harry Maguire headed an early corner against the bar and Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Patrick Dorgu.
There was an aggression to United’s play that hinted at a desire to make an impression to a third head coach already in 2026, but that spilt over into early bookings for both full-backs. Diogo Dalot left a mark of the wrong kind when he caught Jeremy Doku high on the shin and although contact was only glancing, he was fortunate to be put through the wringer of a VAR check at least.
Luke Shaw clattered into Rodri to pick up his booking, but the spark in United’s play was unsettling City. They hunted the ball in packs and looked to spring forward at speed. Mbeumo’s movement pulled around the inexperienced Max Alleyne and Abdukodir Khusanov, while the wingers and Fernandes tried to break in behind.
The method led to Amad and Fernandes both rounding Donnarumma to score in the first half, only for the linesman’s flag to deny them. The calls were marginal, but correct; they gave United encouragement that they were on the right path.
If they wanted further vindication, they got it from Guardiola’s half-time subs, bringing Nico O’Reilly and Rayan Cherki on, but it did little to contain United. O’Reilly was booked for a foul on Amad within three minutes of his arrival, so he was powerless when the winger ran at him 10 minutes later. Donnarumma saved his shot and then stuck up a hand to keep out Casemiro’s follow-up from close range.
When the Italian goalkeeper saved again from Mbeumo a few minutes later, you started to fear United would pay for missing so many chances, but then they struck in a manner straight out of the playbook from derby successes under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
City had control with a free-kick midway in United territory, but when play was turned over, the speed and execution of the break was something to behold. Fernandes led the breakaway, and with three players in support, he picked the perfect pass to Mbeumo, who this time gave Donnarumma no chance.
Ten minutes later, the game was done. City had shown little sign of mustering a response and when Dorgu was more alert than Rico Lewis to reach a Matheus Cunha cross, he sent the Stretford End into raptures. Amad hit the post late on after another thrilling break, and Mason Mount managed a third disallowed goal.
After sharing an embrace with Guardiola, Carrick turned around, a beaming smile on his face, and offered a clenched fist towards the family sitting in the high stands. There was a more visceral show of emotion towards the Stretford End as he headed down the tunnel. He has made his mark.
