Michael Carrick has urged his Manchester United players to maintain their impressive form following a remarkable victory over Manchester City in his debut match as manager.
United showcased their dominance against Pep Guardiola’s squad, achieving a near-perfect performance with a 2-0 win driven by goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu.
The scoreline could have been even broader, as United had three goals disallowed for offside.
City, on the other hand, managed only a single shot on target throughout the match. Ahead of his next challenge against Arsenal at the Emirates, Carrick emphasized the need for his team to replicate this high level of performance.
“That’s the ultimate challenge, and it should become our new normal,” Carrick remarked.
“While we won’t always experience the same emotions and atmosphere as today, we certainly have standards to uphold—for ourselves and how we are perceived externally. I’m quite aware of that.”
“Consistency is crucial for any successful endeavor. Discovering that consistency is our next challenge,” he added. “Next week is a big fixture for us, another tough one, but today’s win provides a solid foundation to build upon.”
Carrick was appointed as manager just on Tuesday and led his first training session on Wednesday.
This victory broke a streak of four winless games under the previous management of Ruben Amorim and Darren Fletcher and marked only their second home derby triumph over City since 2020.
“It’s a fantastic start, there’s no doubt about it,” Carrick stated.
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“Honestly, prior to the match, the coaching staff and I felt the players were in a good mindset,” Carrick shared. “We were pleased with our preparations leading up to the game.”
“The emotional state of the players was encouraging going into the match, but facing City—a team full of exceptional talent—is always unpredictable. We never quite know how the match will unfold, but the way it played out, the players performed incredibly well in numerous aspects.”
“They effectively managed the emotional side with the strategic information we provided. Overall, it was a solid performance.”