Premier League: Carrick-Ball shines at Emirates as Manchester Utd beat Arsenal in thriller

Carrick-ball seems to have come alive in the Premier League, with Manchester United running riot since he took over as interim coach. Under his tutelage, United first beat rivals Manchester City last week, denting their chances of gaining a lead in the PL standings, and then shocked the table-toppers Arsenal at Emirates on Sunday (Jan 25) with a 3-2 win. Matheus Cunha’s late strike sealed a stunning victory for The Red Devils, who now moved to fourth place. The Carrick-ball has upgraded United’s game play into beast mode and is far more vibrant than it was under Amorim.

“The boys have been fantastic in terms of taking things on, wanting to do it and investing into it,” Carrick said.

The former United midfielder praised the players for responding to his tactical demands and showing belief on the pitch.

Carrick has ditched Amorim’s preferred three-man defence, allowing United to play with more balance. His decision to deploy Patrick Dorgu in a more advanced role also paid off with another goal.

Dorgu’s second-half strike at the Emirates Stadium whistled into the top corner to put United 2-1 up. Lisandro Martinez’s own goal had given Arsenal a first-half lead before Bryan Mbeumo equalised for United.

Watch Dorgu's goal -

Mikel Merino looked to have rescued a point for Arsenal with a late leveller, but Cunha lashed home from 20 yards in the 87th minute.

“I just think we understood the flow of the game,” Carrick said of the performance. “The goals were fantastic, some of the football was good, and we looked dangerous at certain times.”

Cunha highlighted the difference between Amorim’s reign and Carrick’s upbeat presence at the club.

Watch the goal that won the game for United -

“He knows the feeling, he played here so many years,” Cunha said of his new manager. “He knows how the fans want to feel. He tried to talk to us to understand in moments and say ‘everyone is against us’, so I think we feel more together.”

Carrick, who spent 12 successful years as a United player, admitted he is relishing his unexpected opportunity.

“I’ve been here less than two weeks, and I’m desperate to do well and improve the team,” he said. “Having days like this and last week is something you get greedy for, and we want to keep building on this.”

(With inputs from AFP)