By Our Man at Old Trafford
MICHAEL CARRICK last night proved he has the Midas touch as Manchester United tore the form book to shreds to leave Pep Guardiola’s title-chasers in the dust.
In a white-hot atmosphere at the Theatre of Dreams, the Red Devils didn’t just beat their noisy neighbors—they bullied them.
Goals from AFCON hero BRYAN MBEUMO and rising star PATRICK DORGU secured a 2-0 win that sent Old Trafford into absolute meltdown and left City’s Premier League dreams hanging by a thread.
Carrick, in his first game of his second stint as boss, gambled by throwing Mbeumo straight back into the fire after his return from international duty.
It was a move that looked like genius when the Cameroon international broke the deadlock in the 65th minute.
After Harry Maguire—who was a titan at the back—thumped a header clear, United’s talisman Bruno Fernandes led a lightning-fast breakaway. He threaded a needle-perfect pass to Mbeumo, who kept his cool to slot past Gianluigi Donnarumma and ignite the Stretford End.
City, uncharacteristically toothless with Erling Haaland kept under lock and key by Lisandro Martinez, had no answer. The knockout blow arrived in the 76th minute, and it was a thing of beauty.
Substitute Matheus Cunha turned Rico Lewis inside out on the flank before whipping in a cross that begged to be finished.
Patrick Dorgu didn’t need asking twice, ghosting in at the back post to fire home and seal the bragging rights.
”The atmosphere was magical,” a beaming Carrick said after the whistle.
“We wanted to give the fans something to shout about, and these players gave everything. This is what Manchester United is about.”
For Pep Guardiola, this was a nightmare in M16. With Arsenal winning elsewhere, City now find themselves six points off the pace and looking over their shoulders.
Despite Donnarumma’s heroics—including a staggering double save from Amad Diallo and Casemiro—the Blue half of Manchester was second-best all afternoon.
United fans stayed long after the final whistle, singing Carrick’s name into the cold night air. On this evidence, the “New Manager Bounce” isn’t just a hop—it’s a giant leap toward a new era.
MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo.
MAN CITY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, Ake; Rodri, Bernardo, Foden; Semenyo, Doku, Haaland.
