Michael Carrick has offered huge praise to one Manchester United star who made a ‘big impact’ last weekend against Manchester City.
Michael Carrick made a dream start to his tenure as Manchester United’s caretaker head coach on Saturday, masterminding an impressive derby win over Manchester City.
United claimed a convincing 2–0 victory at Old Trafford, securing their third clean sheet of the campaign. The margin could have been even greater, with three additional goals chalked off for tight offside calls.
Amid the intense pre-match build-up and noise surrounding the fixture, Carrick outthought Pep Guardiola and led the Reds to a memorable, statement performance.
Attention now turns to the next challenge, as United look to carry that momentum into Sunday’s clash with league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Carrick praises “big impact” United star ahead of Arsenal game
There were some eyebrows raised when Carrick decided to bench Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško against City, but the decision paid off.
Carrick explained before the game that the players on the bench would have a significant role to play in the game and that was true, with Cunha assisting the winning goal after coming on in the second half.
“It’s big,” Carrick told club media when asked about Cunha’s professionalism in making such an impact off the bench. “It’s big. I think the disappointment, obviously, for all the boys who didn’t start the game.
“You know, coming on and making a difference and feeling it. Whether that’s actually making a difference, and that’s something we spoke about this week, making a difference on the pitch or from the sidelines, or from the changing room. I’ve seen the boys supporting in the Directors’ Box and celebrating the goal.
“For me to see that attachment, the connection from everybody, is huge, moving forward.”
Will Cunha start vs Arsenal?
Speaking further on the Brazilian’s cameo, Carrick added: “Matheus, you know, made a big impact when he came on.
“The goal, obviously, but in terms of how he went about the game. I was delighted with him. Again, it’s something, moving forward, for everyone to feed off and that goes a long way.”
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Cunha started for United in their season opener against Arsenal and was the standout performer for the Reds. He was fouled inside the box late in the game but the penalty was not awarded while United lost 1-0.
He will be hoping that Carrick decides to bring him back into the team this weekend but even if he doesn’t do that, Cunha can still make a significant impact when coming off the bench.
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