Manchester United got off to a great start under manager Michael Carrick with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have now won four straight games under caretaker manager, who has a 100% win rate so far in his second spell at the club.
After dominating the first half, a reckless challenge from Spurs captain Cristian Romero gave Carrick’s side the man advantage. A dangerous tackle on Casemiro resulted in a stud in his ankle and he received a straight red card.
Just nine minutes after the red card, United took the lead. It was a great corner routine, with Bruno Fernandes scoring shortstop to Koby Mainu to give his team a 1-0 lead.
The Carrington School graduate found Brian Mbeumo in acres of space and the striker did the rest and slotted home into the bottom corner.
The Red Devils had moments when they could have doubled their lead, but they only did so in the 81st minute. Of course, it had to be captain Fernandes who sealed the victory, scoring a stunning strike in front of the Stretford End.
It was another big win for Carrick’s side, with Mynu once again prominent.
Looking back at Maynu’s performance against Spurs
At 20 years old, Mainu is reminding the world why he is one of the best young players on the planet. Carrick supports him to run through the midfield and that is exactly what United’s number 37 does week in and week out.
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The midfielder pulled the strings in the middle of the park and his pass gave Mebumo the lead.
It was a perfectly weighted ball for the Cameroonian, and Fernandes’ cross rounded the corner into the path of the United attacker, who finished the rest of the way.
In fact, if you look at the game numbers, you can see how well he played. Mainu was influential in the center of the park with 95 touches and was creative in the final third, making four important passes. Off the ball, he successfully recovered the ball 4 times and won 8 duels.
Goal journalist Richard Martin was impressed by Mainu’s performance. He gave the Red Devils star a rating of 8/10, describing his performance as a “fantastic performance” and saying that he “enabled United to maintain the initiative” throughout the match.
Just like another rejuvenated star, it’s safe to say he’s unstoppable under Carrick.
Another irreplaceable member of Carrick’s side.
Diogo Dalot looks like a reborn player after struggling to find his best form under former manager Ruben Amorim.
Returning to his favored right-back role, the Portuguese star continued his form by shining once again against Spurs.
Martin thought United’s number two was outstanding against the Lilywhites, giving him an 8/10 for his effort as well. He described Dalot’s game this afternoon as a “strong performance overall” and praised him for “defending hard and linking up well with the attack.”
The Portugal international provided the assist for United’s second goal. He played a fine cross into the box for his compatriot Fernandes, which fell perfectly over the head of Benjamin Sesco and the captain scored.
Dalot’s excellent performance was certainly reflected in his full-time numbers. He touched the ball 78 times, created two chances and completed 100% of his crosses.
Off the ball, he recorded 4 tackles for 3 wins, 6 duels, and 3 ball recoveries.
Dalot Key Stats vs. Spurs | |
|---|---|
status | number |
touch | 78 |
cross accuracy | 100% |
Pass accuracy | 97% |
won a duel | 6 |
tackle win | 3/4 |
Number of balls collected | 3 |
key pass | 2 |
assist | 1 |
Nousser Mazrazui returned after AFCON and is now fully available, but it seems unlikely that Dalot will be removed from the side by Carrick anytime soon.
He impressed in United’s first four interim league games, as his performance against Spurs showed.
If Dalot can maintain this form while also contributing assists, there is no reason for the United manager to leave him out.
He certainly appears to be a player who cannot be dropped, and having previously looked very unsuited to Amorim’s wing-back system, it seems unlikely that he will be ruled out for Tuesday’s game against West Ham United.
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