Man Utd 2-0 Man City (Mbeumo 65′, Dorgu 76′)
OLD TRAFFORD – Michael Carrick, where do you want the statue? Your sheep can now graze in Stretford anywhere you like. That six-year deal will be on the table on Monday morning, sharp.
Manchester United will, hopefully for their long-suffering supporters, never make that mistake again. The start for the 12th coach, temporary or permanent, to be charged with raising this sleeping giant from its slumber, could, however, not have gone any better.
All it took was correcting the two biggest errors of judgement an intransigent Ruben Amorim continued to make during his ill-fated tenure to turn things around.
Bryan Mbeumo. Stretford End. ERUPTION!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 17, 2026pic.twitter.com/v1RbPqcs9q
In a way, there was something incredibly admirable about Amorim’s stoicism, what he was trying to do. He had his way of playing, and given carte blanche to do what he wanted by the United overlords, he did everything he could to do things his way, having earned the right to do so.
There had to be some give, of which none was forthcoming. United’s greatest hopes, of the present and future, Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, were the victims of that malady.
For no longer. Back in his market-leading No 10 role, Fernandes did what he does best and steered a rudderless ship to victory. His classy deckhand Mainoo there to provide additional quality in midfield conspicuous by its absence entrenched in Amorim’s systems. Something Carrick knows plenty about.
The result was a potentially season-saving derby victory. Amazing what you can do when starting your best players, deployed in the most effective roles.
A(nother) new era began just as the 12 previous epochs had – in optimistic earnest.
Carrick strode down the Old Trafford touchline, not looking like he had aged a single minute since he received an Old Trafford guard of honour upon hanging up his boots in 2018, making sure he completed the new-manager-introduction bingo card.
Having issued his rallying cry in the programme notes, he donned the football manager’s go-to wool coat, applauded all corners of the ground, waved his arms to gee up support, before standing in the technical area alone, surveying his new kingdom.
With Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo back, the Premier League’s most dangerous strikeforce, in terms of number of shots at goal, had that fearsome look once more.
But it was the brilliance from deep that proved the catalyst for success. Fernandes sees passes no other player can. Remarkably, even from deep in an Amorim midfield two, he still has created more chances this season than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.
His first-half pickout for an early Patrick Dorgu opening was one of those pickouts no other player’s radar could spot.
Mainoo and Casemiro were complementing each other perfectly. The veteran Brazilian’s guile and timing in the tackle thwarted City breaks time and again, with Mainoo offering the perfect quick outlet to instigate attacks.
The link-up between Fernandes and Mainoo as a pairing was particularly telling. For the past 14 hellish months, there was no outlet for the captain, shoehorned into a deeper role. He had to look for the spectacular passes all the time, with so few other bodies in and around him.
Without being at all hyperbolic, in a performance more complete than anything Amorim could conjure, United kept the might of Manchester City on the back foot for 90 minutes.
The best all-round performance since the 2024 FA Cup final victory over City. The best at Old Trafford since well beyond that, even as far back as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time at the club. Erik ten Hag masterminded some huge victories, but not with the dominance of what unfolded on Saturday.
For all their superiority, however, the chances kept coming, and going. Harry Magurie should have scored from point-blank range, Casemiro somehow contrived to miss when it looked more difficult to do so, while the linesman’s flag ruled out two goals.
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A cool head was needed to stop profligacy setting in. Step forward captain fantastic.
Carrying the ball forward on the counter, Fernandes had options either side 65 minutes in. The Stretford End expected. The pass through from Mbeumo for the goal that set the hosts on their way to victory was, as it always is, inch-perfect in its weight and accuracy. A resurgent Mbeumo did the rest.
In moments like this, Amorim’s more positive showings fell flat. The difference was that he didn’t have Fernandes in the positions to affect the biggest occasions.
And there’s only one man to blame for that.
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