Get the Adam Clery Football Column. A newsletter that unpacks the absurdities and oddities of the beautiful gameThe ACFC newsletter: unpacking football’s absurditiesUnpack football’s oddities with the ACFC newsletterMichael Carrick could hardly have dreamt of a better start to his second spell as Manchester United’s interim manager, but he has passed his first tests with flying colours.While a derby day win over Manchester City last week left United fans on cloud nine, the club’s 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday is an even more impressive result, the visitors stunning the league leaders as their fans delighted in a professional, inventive and at times brilliant performance. Not even the most diehard fan would have predicted these wins in the opening two games of Carrick’s second tenure, but United delivered in style at the Emirates, with recent signings Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha scoring the goals in a deserved win. And while United’s goals came about via both luck and two superb strikes from Dorgu and Cunha, it was a match that reflects extremely positively on Carrick. open image in galleryBryan Mbeumo capitalised on a mistake to bring United level in the first half (Reuters)United are not “back” by any means but this was an away performance that offered plenty of hope, with discipline, energy, desire, invention and even some of the same swagger that the United teams of old once took to the league’s biggest away grounds.Granted, the bare bones of the gameplan here were provided by both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, with both having frustrated Arsenal over the last few weeks, though Carrick set his side up well as the visitors nullified Arsenal for large parts, with United’s big players showing up as the visitors showed a noticeable change in tempo and confidence. Carrick’s team selection paid off once again too. Mbeumo scored United’s first goal last week and was again a threat this evening, pouncing on Martin Zubimendi’s mistake to fire his side level, while Dorgu launched United into the lead at the Emirates with the goal of the day. The Dane has so far proved a revelation on the left of United’s attacking three. And Cunha’s introduction was another change that paid off for Carrick, the Brazilian scoring a superb winner after providing the assist for United’s second in the derby win just over a week ago. open image in galleryMatheus Cunha scored a superb winner after replacing…
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2026-01-26 01:03:41
