Manchester United's interim manager, Michael Carrick, has issued a clear challenge to his players: they must now find consistency following a dominant 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Manchester City on Saturday, 17 January 2026.
A Dream Start for Carrick
The match at Old Trafford marked a dream beginning for Carrick's temporary reign. Inspired by the change in the dugout, United delivered a performance full of energy and purpose. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu secured the three points, dealing a significant blow to City's Premier League title ambitions.
The scoreline could have been even more emphatic. United saw three goals disallowed for tight offside decisions and were repeatedly thwarted by excellent saves from City's goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Search for Regularity
Speaking after the final whistle, a pleased but focused Carrick praised his team while immediately pointing to the future. "Great start. No getting away from that," he admitted. "The boys were fantastic." However, he quickly turned attention to the team's main issue.
"Consistency is the key to any success," Carrick stated. "If you could find that, then you're onto a winner. That's our challenge — we've got to find a way to do that."
Big Test Ahead at Arsenal
This vital win, only their second in eight matches across all competitions, propelled United into fourth place in the Premier League table ahead of the day's later games. The victory highlighted a frustrating pattern for the Red Devils this season: raising their game against top opponents but stumbling against lesser sides.
Under previous manager Ruben Amorim, who was dismissed earlier in January, the team failed to win at home against:
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Bournemouth
- West Ham United
- Everton
Carrick's men now face another stern examination with a trip to league leaders Arsenal next weekend. "Big one next week obviously, another tough one," Carrick acknowledged, "but on the back of today, we've got a good foundation." The question remains whether United can build upon it.
