Manchester United Dominate the Manchester Derby: Carrick's Tactical Victory

MANCHESTER, SATURDAY - The second era of coach Michael Carrick at Manchester United began perfectly. MU triumphed over Manchester City thanks to the interim coach's tactics that highly prioritized balance on the field. This tactic was executed flawlessly by Bruno Fernandes and his teammates.

MU won 2-0 against City with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, on Saturday (17/1/2026). Although playing at home, MU was not actually favored against City. The situation in the "Red Devils" camp was tumultuous following the dismissal of coach Ruben Amorim at the beginning of the year. They have just appointed Carrick as the interim replacement.

However, MU was able to demonstrate the opposite on the field. They managed to render the team coached by manager Pep Guardiola powerless throughout the match. The home team maintained control by limiting City's attacks, which is a contender for this season's Premier League title. Then, they punished with a swift counterattack.

Guardiola also acknowledged that Manchester United deserved to win. "The better team won. They were better than us. When another team is better, you have to accept that. They had great energy to win, while we did not. They also had several clear chances and goals, while we conceded poorly," he stated.

Interestingly, that scoreline wasn't enough to capture Manchester United's dominance. They could have won by more. However, two goals from Fernandes and Amad Diallo were disallowed for offside after a VAR review. City were completely overwhelmed by their neighbors.

Match statistics can reveal a one-sided game. City indeed dominated possession with 68.1 percent and had touches in the penalty area of 35-21, but that does not necessarily mean much. MU managed to maintain control in more dangerous aspects, one of which is evident in the advantage of shots on target, 7-1.

City was only given the opportunity to play with the ball but could not create significant chances. In contrast, MU was very efficient. "We were very dangerous. We could have won by more than two goals. I don't even know if they (City) managed to make a single shot on target," said Dorgu.

MU's victory began with a very solid defense. The backline has been a weak point for "The Red Devils" throughout this season. Their defense has been very vulnerable. This issue was not evident in the derby match due to two factors: Carrick's perfect tactics and the MU players demonstrating a high fighting spirit.

Carrick employed a rather offensive formation, 4-2-3-1. However, this formation was filled with many players that allowed Manchester United's gameplay to be balanced. Dorgu, the left wing-back, was positioned as a midfielder on the wing. On the opposite side, Amad Diallo, who often plays as a wing-back in a three-defender formation, was also included as a starter.

As a result, Dorgu and Diallo can assist the team's wing during defense. Carrick also prefers Mbeumo as the spearhead, not deploying a pure striker. The hope is that without a striker, they can win the battle in midfield. Meanwhile, MU played with a very low defensive block throughout the match.

In addition to helping sustain the team, Dorgu and Diallo also caused significant trouble for City with their speed. "We want to play to our strengths. Both wingers, Amad and Dorgu, performed fantastically in both directions. Mbeumo and Bruno did as well. Everything went according to our expectations," said Carrick.

Carrick proved himself to be one of the best midfielders of his time. He had a deep understanding of balance on the field. For this reason, he placed several extra players to assist in defense. Additionally, a low block was employed to cover the significant gaps in Manchester United's midfield that were often exposed during high pressing.

City was forced to play a very high defensive line to create opportunities. As a result, they became very vulnerable in transition situations. MU took full advantage of this. In the first goal, for instance, six MU players were still inside the penalty area when Fernandes initiated a rapid counterattack into the opponent's half. With just a few touches, the ball found its way into City's net.

Fernandes, the captain of MU, has become the standout performer as he returns to play as an attacking midfielder or "number 10." He created six opportunities for his teammates and was very dangerous every time he had the ball in transition situations. His role is much more significant, unlike when he played in the anchor midfielder position in Amorim's 3-4-3 formation.

The return of Diallo and Mbeumo from the Africa Cup has also had a significant impact on the team's strength. They provide added value to the attack of "The Red Devils." In addition, the role of young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been able to balance the midfield alongside Casemiro. Mainoo, however, has rarely been utilized in the first half of this season.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez stated that they performed passionately thanks to motivation from the coach. "Carrick said 'use the energy of the people (in the stadium).' I think today we did that together very well. You can feel a different energy in the eyes of the players. This is a team victory and that is the most important thing," he said. (AP/REUTERS)