Michael Carrick has done a fantastic job of getting Manchester United’s stars back to their best, and for Leny Yoro, it’s no different.
Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League as they defeated Everton 1-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
A sublime counterattacking goal involving all three summer forward signings, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, was the difference between the two sides. The Slovenian’s goal now makes him the highest non-penalty goalscorer in the league in 2026 with five.
Despite the overall performance not being Michael Carrick’s side’s fluid best, this game was United’s first clean sheet away from home all season, but also is United’s third in their last five games.
Leny Yoro was one member of the defence who has continued to impress but flies under the radar.
Yoro getting back to his best
After a breakout year following his transfer from Lille last season, Yoro has found the 2025/26 season more difficult than the last.
The Frenchman began the season as a starter, but after a slight dip in form and then the resurgence of Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, and, towards the end of Ruben Amorim’s tenure, Ayden Heaven, Yoro found himself in and out of the team.
The right-centre back role in the back three seems to always make the 20-year-old uneasy, having to cover the spaces a more traditional right-back in a back four would cover, as well as having to jump into the midfield.
At the beginning of Carrick’s tenure, Yoro only played one minute in the first four games, as the switch to a back four reduced the need for an extra centre-back. However, after coming on against West Ham for the injured Maguire, Yoro instantly impressed with a game-saving block, preventing United from losing all three points.
Due to Martinez’s injury, Yoro found himself starting against Everton, and he performed exceptionally well. Many pundits have questioned his physicality, but in the wrestling Royal Rumble-esque set-pieces Everton used, Yoro stood up to the likes of Michael Keane and James Tarkowski with confidence.
His confidence in the ball and growing strength in one-on-one situations are reflected by him winning 2/2 of his ground duels, four clearances, one block and five recoveries. This was one of Yoro’s best performances all season.
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Match winners throughout the squad
The resurgence of Yoro with two huge performances back-to-back, and the goals from Šeško, are proof that this squad has match winners throughout.
It has been a long time since United had a squad where anyone, whether they are starting or on the bench, could be counted on, but this is what separates this side from previous Red Devil squads.
Even Cunha, who has been in the starting eleven of late, initially began the tenure of Carrick on the bench before grabbing key goal contributions against Manchester City and Arsenal, and eventually starting due to the injury of Patrick Dorgu.
It is a great signal to the Old Trafford faithful about the newfound harmony throughout the squad that seemingly every player is ready to perform when called upon.
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