MANCHESTER, England (AP) — It’s 4 p.m. premier league Michael Carrick’s Manchester United have won back-to-back games, and a season that seemed to be falling apart a few weeks ago is now where it’s at. full of promises.
Saturday’s victory over Tottenham 2-0 in extra time Carrick gets 100% start as head coach And it will further strengthen his case for the job in the long term.
“Michael has won everything here and he knows what it means to the fans, what it means to win for the club and how much it takes to win in this football. I think that adds something special to the team,” United captain Bruno Fernandes told TNT Sports.
It is the first time in two years that United have won four consecutive league games, raising hopes of a return to the lucrative Champions League, which they have missed out on for the past two years.
Brian Mbeumo and Fernandes scored in each half of the match at Old Trafford, with captain Cristian Romero being sent off in the 29th minute, leaving Spurs with 10 men.
Carrick has changed United’s fortunes since parachuting in to replace the sacked Ruben Amorim last month. Originally given a contract until the end of the season, previously with a three-game interim period in 2021, his impressive impact is likely to put him in serious contention to keep his job as club executives consider long-term plans.
“I think Michael came in with the right idea of giving the players responsibility, but also the responsibility on the pitch and the freedom to make the necessary decisions,” Fernandes said. “He is very good with words.
“I think he still remembers what I said when he was the manager in our last game. I knew Michael could be a great manager, and he’s just showing it.”
United sit fourth with 44 points, with the 20-time English champions already surpassing last season’s total of 42 points.
A story of two captains
Fernandes’ 81st-minute, controlled goal with his shin was his 200th goal involvement since joining United in 2020.
United took the lead in the 38th minute with Mbeumo’s low shot from a corner kick, his 10th goal of his debut season for the club, sealing the victory.
United’s captain impressed, but Tottenham’s Romero did not add anything to his side after being sent off in the first half.
Romero, who described the fact that Spurs were reduced to 11 healthy players in last weekend’s draw with Manchester City as a “disgrace”, did little to help his team’s cause after receiving a red card for a dangerous tackle on Casemiro.
Opta, the league’s statistics partner, announced that Romero’s sending off was his sixth since joining the club in 2021, more than any other player in the Premier League at the time.
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