It was far from pretty, but Manchester United have picked up their fourth consecutive win in the Premier League, defeating Tottenham 2-0 at Old Trafford. Goals from Bryan Mbuemo and Bruno Fernandes paced the Red Devils as they’ve been able to brush aside Tottenham for the first time since October of 2022. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s another moment that highlights United’s return to the upper echelon of the Premier League table.
United are firmly in control of their Champions League destiny, sitting in fourth place no matter what happens this weekend. And things could get even more comfortable if England stays on track and gets five entrants into the Champions League via the table due to coefficients in European play. Not competing in Champions League during the 2023-24 season, during which United were knocked out during the group stage of play, Old Trafford craves the energy of nights under the European lights, and they just may get it.
Slight changes from the coaching shift from Ruben Amorim to Carrick are making a difference. United’s opening goal came from a set piece which Carrick acknowledged that it was designed by analyst Kaita Hasegawa and assistant Johnny Evans. Only being in charge of the club since Jan. 13, it’s significant for his staff to make an impact this quickly and exemplifies why the Red Devils are a perfect four wins in four matches under Carrick’s management.
In this match, they were helped out by Cristian Romero’s red card in the 29th minute of play, but they were still able to control the match from start to finish. The Red Devils peppered Tottenham’s net with 10 shots on goal and were also able to defend effectively only allowing one shot on Senne Lammens‘ net.
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There’s a growing confidence under Carrick that can be seen in the squad. The attack of Matheus Cunha, Fernandes, and Mbuemo are combining effectively and scoring goals for fun. Academy product Kobbie Mainoo has come back into midfield and is performing well, and the defense is settled. All while being led by a United legend on the touchline.
Continuing this, it would be hard for Carrick not to be named the permanent manager of United, but the goal is clear. Return the club tothe Champions League and see what the summer brings. Amorim built a good base for Carrick to succeed, but it’s the little tweaks that are making the difference, along with the belief that stringing together wins brings to the players.
Of course, the real test will be when Carrick picks up his first loss as manager of United and how the squad responds to that. In two stints as caretaker manager, Carrick is now undefeated in seven matches in charge. It’s easier to go through the day to day when wins are coming in succession, but what will be the true test is how he responds when the pressure of losing builds. But hey, maybe this attack is good enough that United can avoid that issue for quite a while. So far, so good on that front. United haven’t won five consecutive matches since February of 2024, and next wee,k facing West Ham United will be a chance for that to happen again.
