Manchester United were organised at the back and composed going forward as they stunned Manchester City with a derby win.
Expectations were not exactly high before kickoff, but Michael Carrick’s first match in charge went far better than anyone could have predicted.
In just a few days, Carrick and his staff managed to put together a game plan that paid off, with United coming away 2-0 winners over City.
They even had three goals ruled out but still controlled the match. At the other end, United stayed disciplined throughout to hold City scoreless.
Lisandro Martinez responded to recent criticism from Nicky Butt by turning in an excellent display, while Harry Maguire also played his part with a solid showing alongside him.
John Terry picks out Harry Maguire performance after Man City win
Carrick was expected to stick with the 4-2-3-1 set-up, and it was Maguire and Martinez who were given the job of handling City’s attack. Both stepped up well.
The British defender had a particularly strong game, earning praise from John Terry shortly after full-time.
Speaking on his TikTok page, Terry said: “Wow! What a performance from Man United… this is the Man United of old. Attacking, free-flowing football, pace up front. So good to see Carrick get his opportunity.”
“Also, Man United are such a better team with Harry Maguire back in the squad today. I’m not sure there’s a more difficult game to come into – a Manchester derby, playing against the best striker in the world, Erling Haaland.
“He’s just so good in both boxes, and so good on the ball too, driving out with the ball, so comfortable with it.
On this form, Harry Maguire has to be on the plane for the World Cup.”
Harry Maguire was outstanding in the Manchester Derby
Maguire brought a real intensity to the derby, and despite it being his first match since early November, he stayed aggressive and committed from start to finish.
The 32-year-old played the full 90 minutes and completely controlled the defensive line. According to SofaScore, Maguire won every tackle he went for, was not beaten once, and recorded seven defensive actions in total.
He also came close to scoring early on, hitting the crossbar with a powerful header inside the opening few minutes.
Haaland finished with just 14 touches all game. He could not find any space or service, largely because of how well Maguire and Martinez stayed organised at the back.
Maguire’s absence had been felt by United, and his impact was clear during their win over City.
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