Manchester United enjoyed a terrific weekend under the interim stewardship of Michael Carrick by beating table-topping Arsenal 3-2 on Sunday evening and Gary Lineker, in the wake of the Emirates Stadium encounter, has praised one of United's players as being 'one of the most underrated players in football'.
Lisandro Martinez's own goal opened the scoring on the weekend before Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu scored in the 37th minute and 50th minute, respectively, for United to earn control of the affair. Naturally, Mikel Arteta-managed Arsenal then lumped the ball in from a corner and Mikel Merino prodded home in the 84th minute.
Too risk-averse in their approach, the Gunners engine room allowed the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes too much space in the middle of the park as they pushed for a winner. Matheus Cunha picked up the ball, drove at the back-tracking Arsenal backline and curled his effort into the bottom corner to win the match.
lineker bbc
By virtue of their emphatic win on away soil, United leapfrogged arch-rivals Liverpool into the top four of the Premier League table and Carrick's primary objective between now and the end of his interim spell will be to secure Champions League qualification for 2025/26. Up next, they face Fulham – but how will Carrick line up?
The squad's current form has given the midfielder-turned-manager a selection headache given so many players covered themselves in glory: Casemiro anchored the engine room well, Cunha's cameo was electric, and captain Fernandes was (characteristically) at the heart of the victory.
The Rest is Football podcast – hosted by Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer – analysed the five-goal thriller at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but none of the aforementioned trio were given their flowers. Instead, 32-year-old Harry Maguire was singled out by Richards. "Harry Maguire in a low block is very, very good. I know he's laughed at and people make memes all the time," said the former Manchester City defender.
Manchester United's Matheus Cunha celebrates scoring their third goal with Harry Maguire
Lineker, widely regarded as one of the best England strikers in football history, then added: "Do you know what I think about Harry Maguire? I think he’s one of the most underrated players in football. I know people have a pop at him, even people in the game have a pop at him. And I know that he can be turned by a striker with pace but he makes up for it to a degree with his intelligence."
"He can play as well, he’s good on the ball and he’s never let England down when he’s played for his country. I would also say he’s bloody brilliant in both boxes from set-pieces. There is an obvious weakness with the slight lack of pack but he’s got the experience to handle that."
Just one week after handling Erling Haaland with ease in United's 2-0 win over City, Maguire – alongside the quietly brilliant Lisandro Martinez – was issued a different task in the shape of Gabriel Jesus, but the Englishman was equally imperious, taking 52 touches of the ball and playing eight passes into the final third.
Defensively sound too, the ex-Hull City man won all three of his ground duels, and he was successful in both of his duels in the air. Even when Jesus was replaced by Viktor Gyokeres and the Swede offered a different problem, Maguire remained resolute and swept up at every given opportunity. It was a simply colossal display.
Despite Upturn in Form, Harry Maguire Faces Uncertain Future at Old Trafford
harry maguire
Maguire's redemption arc is one for the ages: he was initially signed for £80 million from Leicester City in 2019, found himself slipping down the pecking order following the arrivals of Martinez and Raphael Varane, and now he is one of the most experienced members of the squad. But his future at the club remains fairly uncertain.
That remains the case despite the 64-cap England international putting in brilliant back-to-back displays against two of England's toughest sides. As things stand, Maguire's Old Trafford contract is set to come to an end in the summer of 2026 and talks over fresh terms are yet to progress.
Harry Maguire – Career Statistics
Club/Country
Manchester United
Sheffield United
Leicester City
Hull City
England
Wigan Athletic
The fact that Casemiro will be leaving come the end of the season means that Maguire's expertise may be required as they enter the post-Ruben Amorim era by appointing a permanent successor in the summer. By design, the United squad is continually getting younger – but Maguire's know-how could be pivotal.
All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 27/01/2026