After Manchester United exited the FA Cup last weekend at the hands of Brighton, a return to league action brought a mixed reaction in preparation for the game against City, with some hoping the new management of Carrick could bring a solid performance, while the majority were likely worrying that it was going to be a miserable start to the weekend due to the early Saturday kick-off.

What transpired was arguably the best post-Ferguson performance seen by United, as they dominated and dismantled City in a way that fans have forgotten United could do. With 5 goals scored (albeit 3 ruled out for marginal offside calls), the defence stayed solid against the City attack, and the manner of the chances being created gave United fans a huge boost. With only Champions League qualification as the target for the remainder of the season, this result gives United the belief to end the season on a positive footing.

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Teams

Manchester United: Lammens, Shaw (Heaven 90′), Martinez, Maguire, Dalot, Mainoo, Casemiro (Ugarte 81′), Dorgu, Fernandes (Mount 90′), Amad, Mbeumo (Cunha 71′)

Subs: Bayindir, Yoro, Malacia, Fletcher, Sesko

Manchester City: Donnarumma, Ake, Alleyne (O’Reilly 46′), Khusanov, Lewis, Rodri, Doku (Ait Nouri 80′), Silva (Mukasa 80′), Foden (Cherki 46′), Semenyo, Haaland (Reijnders 80′)

Subs: Trafford, Bettinelli, Mfuni, McAidoo

Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City

Manchester United produced a highly disciplined and tactically astute performance to beat Manchester City 2–0 at Old Trafford on Saturday, delivering a derby day display that will be remembered long after the final whistle. In interim manager Michael Carrick’s first game in charge, United combined structure with tempo and clinical execution in key moments to claim a big three points in the Premier League. The victory also ended City’s unbeaten run, a clear statement from the home side in the relentless rhythm of top-flight football.

The opening 45 minutes were a cagey tactical battle. United looked comfortable in a compact shape, pressing intelligently without overcommitting, and managing to disrupt City’s typically slick build-up play. Despite City enjoying the bulk of possession, clear openings were few, United’s shape forced City wide and made central penetrations difficult. On the other end, United had several promising attacks but were denied by offside calls and strong goalkeeping. The goalless first half was full of tension but little reward at either end.

United’s tactical plan really came to fruition after the break. Carrick’s side maintained a disciplined 4-2-3-1 structure in possession, and dropped into a 4-4-2 without, with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo providing a solid double pivot that neutralised City’s midfield creativity and allowed Bruno Fernandes to dictate play higher up. Persistent pressing forced turnovers, and United began to generate momentum on the break, a strategy that would soon pay off.

The breakthrough came in the 65th minute as United struck on the counter. A quick transition saw Fernandes thread a clever pass beyond City’s lines for Bryan Mbeumo, who finished with composure past Gianluigi Donnarumma to spark delirium at Old Trafford. It was a well-worked goal that encapsulated United’s tactical approach, structured defensively but incisive in attack. Ten minutes later the home side doubled their advantage when substitute Matheus Cunha’s intelligent cross found Patrick Dorgu, who cushioned a finish into the net and put the game beyond doubt.

In the closing stages, City pushed for a response but rarely troubled United’s defence, which stood firm and organised. United even had a third ruled out by VAR in stoppage time, underlining their attacking intent to the very end. The 2–0 scoreline reflected United’s tactical discipline, physical intensity and opportunistic finishing on the day. For Carrick and his players, it was a derby performance packed with purpose and a morale-boosting way to begin his tenure in charge.

Talking Points

The first major talking point has to be Michael Carrick and his backroom team, taking over from Wednesday and with just 2 on the pitch training sessions to implement their ideas, they put together the performance many expected, with a 4-2-3-1 in possession shifting to a 4-4-2 or even 4-4-1-1 in defence. These clearer lines brought United to a back 4 which had 2 of their more experienced heads in control, with the full-backs also being the more experienced options available. The midfield pivot showed the very best of Casemiro and in particular Mainoo who has grabbed his starting spot back in the XI and likely won’t let go for the remainder of the season. Then in the attack, Dorgu and Amad fluctuated from wingers to inside forwards and supplemented the free role of Fernandes and Mbeumo who led the line well in the quite sensible choice to leave Sesko on the bench. A perfect plan executed to perfection. The Carrick ideas even stemmed through to goal kicks as both centre backs played an option for Lammens to get the ball out and start a build-up phase of play.

In the lead-up to the appointment of Carrick in his interim role, United DNA has been a key phrase thrown around, with some now questioning what that would look like. The 90 minutes against City showed exactly what United DNA is, with fast counter attacking play including the Mbeumo goal, giving young homegrown players a chance with Mainoo playing the full 90, not sitting back after scoring and pushing for more until the final whistle, and a manager who genuinely gets the fans feelings as he ultimately is a fan. You could see the emotion as he led his side off the pitch given the reception he received that Carrick just gets the club in a way most others wouldn’t.

While the game felt fairly comfortable in the end, with United the ones showboating with their passing triangles and flicked passes, while still pushing for another goal, there was a moment in the first half that brought the usual controversy around a good United moment, as Diogo Dalot went in high with his studs showing onto Doku and almost received a straight red, but escaped with just a yellow which surprisingly didn’t escalate despite playing most of the game on the edge. In those moments of concentration lapses, things could have turned massively, and perhaps he was lucky to avoid any further action, but if United can keep their heads in those moments to stay feisty but in control, they can show the aggression that is often lacking in big games.