Pauly – Arsenal 2-3 Manchester United
I’m sure someone will take United’s 2-0 win over City in Michael Carrick’s first match and I can’t disagree with that choice. That 2-0 scoreline actually flattered City, that’s how thorough United’s dominance was that day.
The derby might have been a statement match for Carrick’s United but we’ve seen United get up for a derby many times before. Surely they weren’t going to do it two weeks in a row? And this time away from home?
United rocked up to North London and put another one of their unforgettable performances in a black kit at the Emirates. They didn’t try to go toe-to-toe with Arsenal. They tried to nullify them and beat them. The Gunners were only able to break through United via an own goal and (another) questionable corner kick.
United took those punches and punched right back. Eight minutes after Arsenal took the lead, United forced the Gunners into a mistake and turned it into an equalizer. They didn’t rest on their laurels, taking the lead just after halftime.
Perhaps they were too conservative with a 2-1 lead and Arsenal eventually equalized six minutes from time. But United weren’t done. Three minutes after the scores went level Matheus Cunha was on his surfboard celebrating the winner.
This match had everything you could ask for: intensity, bangers, and it set the tone for the rest of the season.
Vince – Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City
Undoubtedly the biggest match of this past season (for me) was the Manchester derby on January 17, 2026, Michael Carrick’s debut.
The importance of Manchester United defeating City went far beyond just winning a derby match. It was Michael Carrick’s first game as manager, and the pressure surrounding the club could not have been higher.
United had spent much of the season searching for consistency and identity, while City entered the match as the stronger and more established side. Instead of playing cautiously, United came out organized, aggressive, and fully committed to Carrick’s approach from the very beginning.
The 2–0 victory immediately changed the mood around the club. We finally saw a team playing with structure, intensity, and belief again. Just as importantly, the win gave the players confidence in Carrick’s leadership and showed that the squad was willing to buy into a new direction.
Derby wins always matter at Manchester United, but this one felt different because it represented a fresh start. For many fans, that night at Old Trafford was the moment the season stopped feeling like damage control and started feeling like the beginning of something worth building around.
Colin – Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool
This was a match where Manchester United should have throttled the opponent. Michael Carrick’s men wrapped up their push for UEFA Champions League football a couple of weeks early and looked en route to a big win over the biggest rival. The reigning champions arrived at Old Trafford seemingly in tatters with no desire to play, and the Reds made them pay.
Two goals in the opening stages of the match of a dominant first half. What could have been a much larger lead was only 2-0, and suddenly it was gone. Two atrocious individual errors gifted Liverpool two goals, and the game was on again. It demanded that United reset and re-establish control. It demanded that Carrick navigate his side out of a potential catastrophe, and that’s exactly what they did.
One of my favorite moments of the season was the redemptive arrival in the spotlight for Kobbie Mainoo. A player who couldn’t get a chance for half a season showed everyone why he deserved one in the second half of the season. An Academy player who found his way again and was given a new contract for it.
All that was left to do was to mark the occasion with a goal, and he did so in front of the Stretford End to do the double over Liverpool for the first time in 10 years. He arrived at the edge of the box and whacked in another memorable goal in a big spot to extend his already nice catalogue of important goals for the Reds.
Suwaid – Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
There were a lot of great games to choose from this season, and I’m content to go with Ruben Amorim’s finest moment in a league game as United manager. This was United’s first league win at Anfield since the 2-1 victory under Louis van Gaal in 2015, famously celebrated as ‘Juanfield’. I would argue that the performance in the 2-2 draw in the previous season was more impressive, but United needed to get this monkey off their back, and it didn’t matter how they got it done.
United couldn’t have asked for a better start, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring a goal within minutes. Sometimes, when a team knows that it’s going to sit back and absorb pressure for long stretches, an early goal can cause a bit of confusion, but United seemed comfortable throughout the first half and even had some very good opportunities to extend the lead. The second half wasn’t as convincing, with Liverpool opening up United on plenty of occasions, and ultimately getting rewarded with the equaliser. United, to their credit, didn’t settle for a draw, with Harry Maguire thumping home the winning goal with his big head from Bruno Fernandes’ perfectly-placed volleyed pass.
It’s important to remember that the momentum of the game had switched long before Liverpool’s equaliser. Bruno Fernandes and others have spoken recently of how the team would often feel a bit despondent after conceding a goal under Amorim, despite being the marginally better side. This moment doesn’t challenge that narrative since the momentum wasn’t in United’s hands, but it shows how quickly the momentum can shift in a game. One of the encouraging aspects of United under Michael Carrick has been the calmness under stress within games, and after a poor result or performance. It was evident in this game, but not often enough under Ruben Amorim.
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