Michael Carrick was serenaded in the tunnel after making a spectacular return to the Old Trafford dugout as Manchester United manager. The former Red Devils ace overcame legendary manager Josep Guardiola with a 2-0 win that could have ended 5-0 in United’s favor.
It was a welcome ray of sunshine for United fans, who should have had great confidence in their team’s performance after a dismal few months under Ruben Amorim. But what exactly did Carrick do to defeat City’s commander-in-chief? Express Sport has picked out the three key decisions made by United’s caretaker manager that helped them win at Old Trafford.
Patrick Dorg starts on the wing
This is probably the headline for United’s starting XI, with Patrick Dorg keen on winger Matheus Cunha. However, when played full-time, the decision to deploy the wing-back as a forward seemed to have been a good one. One of the best players on the pitch got his due with a stunning goal to put United 2-0 up in the second half. It was a move that pegged City’s full-backs and made it difficult for the likes of Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo to break into United’s final third.
Coby Mainu’s long-awaited return
Is it too cliché to say that a player like Koby Mainu understands that? I’m not sure what it is exactly, but on a day when United needed to raise the bar, the midfielder certainly did just that. Surrounded by Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, two of the game’s greatest players, the youngster was all over the pitch all afternoon and played a key role in United winning the midfield battle. He was able to do all that in his first Premier League start since May! Is it too late to return to the England team? Must take a look.
Brian Mbeumo wreaks havoc in midfield
One small positive from Darren Fletcher’s winless reign was Benjamin Sesco’s return to goal-scoring form. The big-money summer player scored twice against Burnley and looked likely to start for United in the derby. Instead, Carrick opted to play Brian Mbeumo in the middle, a decision that also paid off. The Cameroonian’s runs in behind City’s defense caused problems throughout, but he could have scored more than one goal if not for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s brilliance between the sticks. Mbeumo linked up brilliantly with captain Bruno Fernandes and deservedly received a standing ovation when he came off the pitch.
