Carrick Elevates Manchester United While Giving Arsenal a Slap

LONDON, SUNDAY - Manchester United arrived as the dark horse but left with a rare and convincing victory at Arsenal's home ground. Interim coach Michael Carrick showcased MU's true potential for the second consecutive time, while also providing a reality check for "The Gunners," who do not appear to be championship contenders.

The morale of the MU squad is soaring high, seemingly reaching new heights. After silencing Manchester City last week, it was the turn of league leaders Arsenal to fall victim to them. MU won a dramatic match 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium, London, on Monday (26/1/2026 WIB).

The result is very phenomenal for "The Red Devils." As a context, Arsenal has been unbeaten at home since the beginning of the season, has never lost to MU in home league matches since 2017, and has never conceded more than two goals in 121 consecutive matches across all competitions. All of these brilliant records were shattered by the visiting team.

MU cannot be stopped. Although they initially fell behind in the first half and were equalized at the end of the match, they still found a way to win. Substitute forward Matheus Cunha became the hero of victory with the decisive goal in the 87th minute, three minutes after the equalizer scored by Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino.

"Coming to the home of the league leaders who have played perfectly this season, there are many questions from many people. To be able to come and steal a victory at the end of the match is an extraordinary performance. Michael (Carrick) came in and did brilliant things. He brought new energy," said MU defender Harry Maguire.

Efficient, a word that can describe the high confidence of Bruno Fernandes and his teammates. That word has haunted them almost throughout the season, especially under coach Ruben Amorim. However, everything changed instantly under Carrick. MU performed efficiently on both sides of the field.

The evidence lies in the offensive side, where MU scored three goals from just three shots on target. Carrick recognized the strength of Arsenal's defensive duo, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, in the penalty area. Therefore, they attempted to execute shots from a distance. As a result, goals from Cunha and Patrick Dorgu were born through speculative attempts from outside the box.

On the defensive side, United, with the same formation and starting lineup as in the derby, were able to limit Arsenal at all levels of the block. From the high, mid, and low blocks, they displayed a disciplined and organized performance. The formation without a true striker allowed the visitors to be more flexible when not in possession.

Just look at the first goal scored by MU, which was netted by Mbeumo. That goal felt like a gift from Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who made a misplaced pass backward. However, that blunder occurred due to the intense pressure from Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes. Although Arsenal had a numerical advantage, 3-2, MU's aggressive high pressing was sufficient to create panic.

Carrick praised the mentality and fighting spirit of his players for their ability to overcome pressure from Arsenal multiple times. "We always turn the momentum in our favor. In the first half, we managed to make the game flow better (after falling behind). Then, we showed strong character again after conceding the second goal," said Carrick.

Carrick also repeated a sweet history when facing Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta. At the end of 2021, Carrick also defeated Arsenal 3-2 in a home match at Old Trafford Stadium. At that time, he was also serving as the interim coach who temporarily replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Arsenal was actually able to dominate the first half hour. They besieged MU by implementing a very high defensive line. The home team took the lead first through an own goal by Lisandro Martinez. After that, Martin Odegaard and his teammates suddenly lost control.

The players of "Si Meriam," particularly in the defensive line, appeared nervous. They made several basic mistakes, such as passing and control, which resulted in opportunities for MU. Eventually, disaster struck due to a blunder by Zubimendi. Zubimendi's pass to goalkeeper David Raya was too weak.

According to Arteta, his team's morale collapsed instantly and could not recover after that blunder. "That goal changed our momentum and energy. After that, our standards dropped during ball possession, and then they had two magical moments that resulted in goals. We must learn from this defeat," said the manager.

In contrast to MU, which is very straightforward and expressive in its attacks, Arsenal is very cautious. They do not dare to execute through balls into the penalty area, almost solely relying on attacks from the flanks and set-piece executions.

It is evident that Arsenal's goal was the result of an own goal by the opponent and a corner kick scheme. The issues of creativity and urgency in "The Gunners'" attack are not new. They faced similar problems when they drew 0-0 with Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in their last two league matches.

Arteta's cautious strategy also meant that Arsenal's player substitutions did not have a significant impact. They made four substitutions simultaneously in the 57th minute, namely Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, and Mikel Merino, but continued to rely on the same attacking scheme.

Patrick Vieira, former captain of Arsenal in the early 2000s, also criticized Arteta's approach. "It's not just about them losing, but also how they lose. They need to realize that they should play with more energy and be bold in taking risks. They have that quality, but they are not playing freely to express themselves," he explained.

The impact of that defeat leaves Arsenal only leading the standings with a four-point advantage over City and Aston Villa. With 15 weeks remaining in the league and Arsenal's mentality issues over the past three seasons, the title race remains very much open. (AP/REUTERS)