Alan Shearer has praised Michael Carrick’s Manchester United side, revealing how the defence were able to completely shut out any Man City attack.
Michael Carrick could hardly have imagined a more perfect beginning to his second interim spell at Manchester United.
United swept aside Manchester City at Old Trafford, cruising to a dominant 2–0 victory that could easily have been by an even wider margin.
Given the run of underwhelming results that marked the closing stages of Rúben Amorim’s time at the club, few would have foreseen just how comfortable the win would be for United.
Carrick set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 system, handing Kobbie Mainoo his first start of the season following his falling-out with Amorim. The young midfielder impressed, forming an effective partnership with Casemiro in the centre of the pitch.
The match also marked the return of both Amad and Bryan Mbeumo from AFCON duty, with the duo immediately rediscovering their December form and combining impressively down the right-hand side.
How United shut out Man City
On paper, Rúben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation should provide much more defensive stability, but Carrick’s decision to field his side in a 4-2-3-1 paid dividends, with the defence looking much more comfortable.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Alan Shearer reflected on the game, praising United’s performance and describing how they were able to shut out any of Man City’s attacking threat.
“I thought Man United were absolutely outstanding from start to finish. The energy, the way they just went out and did exactly what the manager wanted. I thought some of their play was superb, their aggression.
“Yes, they got a bit lucky with what should have been a red card for [Diogo] Dalot. That’s not their fault; he didn’t get sent off, and they made the most of it, and they were absolutely brilliant.
“They created chances, they made Man City look very average. They stopped [Erling] Haaland, in fact, they stopped everything that Man City are very good at in terms of blocking spaces, stopping balls into the forwards, into [Phil] Foden, etc., and they thoroughly deserved it.
“Should have been, could have been more, so they were outstanding. That has to be the norm for them every week now, has to be the norm in terms of the energy.”
A rare but deserved clean sheet
Despite sitting third for goals scored, United have a goal difference of six and are seventh bottom for goals conceded, conceding an average of 1.45 goals a game.
Senne Lammens only has three clean sheets this season, with his two before the shutout against Man City coming against the Tyne-Wear sides in a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Boxing Day, and a 2-0 win over Sunderland at the start of October.
Despite much being made about Lisandro Martínez’s physicality compared to Erling Haaland, the Argentine, partnered by a superb Harry Maguire who was just returning from injury, completely nullified the Norwegian forward’s threat, limiting him to just two shots, both of which were blocked.
With Matthijs de Ligt yet to return from injury, and Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven on the bench, Carrick has plenty of centre-back depth on the bench, and with Noussair Mazraoui expected to take Diogo Dalot’s place in the starting XI once he returns from AFCON, United’s defence is set to be further secured, as they look to stem the flow of goals that they have been conceding all season.
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