Manchester United got their first win post-Ruben Amorim beating rivals Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford.
After a draw and defeat under Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick took the reins for the first time on Saturday. He was appointed as caretaker manager for the remainder of the season, his second stint in that specific role.
Man Utd were excellent at Old Trafford with second-half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo doing the job. It was another huge blow for Man City in their quest for the Premier League title, now winless in four.
In this article, we’ll cover:
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Amorim’s Man Utd long forgotten
All eyes were on the Man Utd team sheet just over an hour before kick-off. The Red Devils were lining up in a 4-2-3-1 for the fifth time in six games — but, importantly, the third in three since Ruben Amorim was sacked.
And it was another performance from Man Utd which showed just how badly Amorim’s stubbornness was hurting the Red Devils. This 4-2-3-1 had Kobbie Mainoo replacing Manuel Ugarte as Casemiro’s partner in the double pivot, allowing Bruno Fernandes to push further forward. There were also two changes in attack, with Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo both returning from Africa Cup of Nations duty. Diallo slotted back in on the right, with Mbeumo up front.
Although Sesko did well with two goals against Burnley, Mbeumo proved to be the right option. The Cameroonian was integral to Man Utd putting pressure on the Man City defence. Bruno Fernandes moved alongside him to form a pressing two, or sometimes four when Diallo and Dorgu got involved. It forced a few errors from the Man City defence, who were rushing and misplacing passes.
Both Dorgu and Fernandes won four possessions in the middle third against Man City, with Diallo chipping in with two. Fernandes also won possession three times in the defensive third and once in the attacking third. He was key, and he set up the opening goal with a lovely pass.
Mbeumo was the goalscorer, and he had his chances, hitting the target with two of his three strikes. Gianluigi Donnarumma looked tough to beat, but Mbeumo did finally get past him with a nice low finish into the bottom corner. It was a well-deserved opener, with the tactics finally paying off.
The revolution of Patrick Dorgu
Dorgu was first used on the wing by Amorim. That’s nothing new. But both Fletcher and Carrick carried on with the newer role. And both Dorgu and Man Utd are prospering as a result.
The Danish wide player has previous experience on the wing, causing Serie A defences problems there last season. Dorgu provides the best of both worlds when playing on the wing. Alongside his four possessions won in the middle third, Dorgu also won possession five times in the defensive third. His energy and determination sees Dorgu running up and down the pitch for the full 90 minutes. Energetic runners can often come under scrutiny for just having stamina. But Dorgu has the goal threat too.
It was Dorgu who doubled the lead, with a lovely late run into the box. He had no right to win the ball ahead of Rico Lewis, but he did. And quite easily. The goal gave Man Utd the breathing space they needed, having seen leads previously lost due to nerves.
Man City struggle at both ends
One of Man Utd’s main successful avenues in the first half came down Man City’s left. Man City’s defensive woes have been well documented, with the Citizens seriously struggling for injuries. Nathan Ake started at left-back at Old Trafford, with Max Alleyne as the left-sided centre-back. Alleyne had looked good in his first few matches since returning from his loan. But this was one to forget.
Alleyne looked nervous on the ball in the opening stages and was fortunate not to see an error lead to a goal. It was no surprise when Nico O’Reilly came on at half-time to replace Alleyne, with Ake switching to centre-back. But Ake also had his moments in the first half.
Man Utd had two goals disallowed in the first half for offside. They were correct calls, but very tight, with Man City’s high line just about doing its job. Both disallowed goals did come down the left, though, with balls over the top catching Ake and Alleyne flat-footed.
But it wasn’t just Man City’s defence that struggled. Erling Haaland has a good record against Man Utd. The Norwegian went into the game having scored eight goals in six Premier League Manchester derbies. He had scored two and provided one assist in his most recent appearance at Old Trafford. But Man City’s attack was very disjointed, with Haaland cutting an isolated figure.
Haaland had just 14 touches of the ball during his 80 minutes on the pitch. His substitution was met by ironic cheers from Man Utd, knowing how ineffective he was. The Norwegian had two shots in total, generating 0.13 Expected Goals, but failed to hit the target.
It wasn’t just a Haaland issue. Man City hit the target with just one of their seven shots in total. And that was by 20-year-old centre-back Alleyne. Man City have now scored just two goals across their past four league matches. It’s costly form.