Manchester United have got back to winning ways with a big win over Man City at Old Trafford.
The 198th Manchester derby ended in victory for Manchester United as Michael Carrick secured three points in his first game back after being appointed head coach on Tuesday.
United had the ball in the net twice in the first half, but both goals were ruled out, and the scoreline remained 0-0 at half-time.
With an hour on the clock, United were still pushing for that opening goal, but it came when Bryan Mbeumo completed a stunning counter-attack by slotting the ball into the bottom right corner.
United doubled their lead with 15 minutes left on the clock when Patrick Dorgu made the most of his chance in front of the goal.
Man Utd have BEATEN City 2-0! What is your INSTANT REACTION to the start of the Michael Carrick era?
What did Michael Carrick get right?
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The win for United comes as a huge blow to City’s title chances, but Carrick will be eager to get a similar result over Mikel Arteta next week.
Michael Carrick and Steve Holland
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Michael Carrick continues impressive in Man Utd dugout
Although this was Carrick’s first game back as head coach, the 44-year-old had served as interim manager for a brief period when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in 2021.
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Carrick was undefeated in three games as interim manager, including a 3-2 victory over Arsenal, who he will face again next weekend at the Emirates.
United’s 2-0 win over City means Carrick is now four matches unbeaten as United manager, with three wins and a draw. It also comes with a rare clean sheet for the Reds.
Bryan Mbeumo scores on return from AFCON
Mbeumo was one of two players who returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and went straight back into the line-up.
The Cameroon star played a more disciplined role as United’s lone striker, with Carrick eager to use his pace to get in behind City’s defence. It paid dividends when Mbeumo opened the scoring to give United a deserved lead over their rivals.
Describe your reaction when Bryan Mbeumo scored…
What a moment!
Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League
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It was a huge call from Carrick because it meant Benjamin Sesko missed out on a starting spot. The Slovenian scored three goals in the previous two matches, but the newly appointed head coach made the right call against City.
Kobbie Mainoo makes first start in the Premier League this season
It was a welcome change in Carrick’s line-up to see Kobbie Mainoo make his first start in the Premier League, after previously falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim.
The Stockport-born midfielder got stuck in and looked slick on the ball, although his legs began to look heavy from the heavy workload in the second half.
Mainoo will be happy with his performance today and the fact he is now back in contention for a starting role in the team.
Patrick Dorgu justified starting role over Matheus Cunha
Not only did Dorgu double United’s lead in the second half, but the Dane caused issues for City down the left flank throughout the game.
It came as a surprise to some that Matheus Cunha was named on the bench, but Carrick made the right decision after seeing the impact Dorgu had on the game. This also meant that United had dangerous options on the bench, which hasn’t always been the case this season.
Cunha eventually came off the bench to record an assist for Mount and will argue that it was Dorgu’s best performance in a United shirt.
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The Old Trafford faithful liked what they saw
The atmosphere at Old Trafford today was brilliant. United fans rallied behind the team like they always do, reacting every time one of their own players showed passion or aggression against Pep Guardiola’s side.
This performance was a lot closer to what United fans want to see from the team as they sung Carrick’s chant from his playing days throughout the game.
There was a lot of contrast in the performance from when United lost 3-0 to City earlier this season. It was telling that day that none of Amorim’s players got booked, whereas two United players received yellow cards.
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