City arrive at Old Trafford armed with Haaland, firepower to spare
ALL eyes will be on Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick today to see if he can lift the Red Devils out of the doldrums.
There will be no honeymoon period, as it will be straight into the fire for the former United midfielder, given that his first task is the daunting welcome of city rivals to Old Trafford for the Manchester derby.
There will be a huge degree of pressure on Carrick, given that United are currently on a four‑match winless run in all competitions.
This includes three consecutive draws in the league and a 2–1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup third round tie earlier this week.
With Carrick in charge, it also means things are back to square one. The back‑three defensive blueprint introduced by his predecessor Ruben Amorim over 14 months of work will be flushed away in favour of a conventional back‑four formation.
Carrick deployed a 4‑2‑3‑1 structure during his tenure as Middlesbrough manager and will most likely stick with it here until the end of the season.
He will be best remembered by United supporters for his short three‑match stint as caretaker manager in 2021, securing two wins and a draw.
There are also concerns and scepticism over whether Carrick can lead the Devils, currently in seventh place, up the table with his unimpressive record at Middlesbrough.
A household name at Old Trafford, he will know he needs to get the gears changing without delay if he is to gain the backing of supporters.
Fortunately for Carrick, he has a good squad of players to choose from for his first game.
Apart from Matthijs de Ligt, who is nursing a back injury, and Noussair Mazraoui competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with Morocco, there are no other notable absentees.
Senne Lammens should get the green light between the posts, ahead of Altay Bayindir.
Lisandro Martinez and Leny Yoro should also continue as the centre‑back pairing, while Patrick Dorgu and Diogo Dalot operate on the flanks.
The midfield should consist of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, while Benjamin Sesko leads the attack with Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo supporting him.
Second‑placed Man City, unlike the Red Devils, are on a fairly good run.
Despite being held in their last three league matches, Pep Guardiola’s side hammered EFL League One outfit Exeter City 10-1 in the FA Cup third round last week and also won 2-0 against Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi‑finals in midweek.
The Citizens will definitely be the favourites, as they have been for the last few years.
City do have their fair share of injuries, notably in defence with three centre‑backs currently on the sidelines.
Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones are all out for a long period, leaving City with only Nathan Ake and Abdukodir Khusanov as their two fit senior centre‑backs.
Guardiola will also be without Mateo Kovacic, Savinho and Oscar Bobb due to injuries.
Matheus Nunes will retain his right‑back spot, while Rayan Ait‑Nouri, back from Afcon, should be reinstated on the left side.
With Nico Gonzalez injured, Nico O’Reilly will probably be lined up as the sole defensive midfielder.
In attack, Erling Haaland will definitely start, with Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva in support.
After signing from Bourne-mouth last week, Antoine Semenyo made an immediate impact by scoring two goals and providing an assist in the matches against Exeter and Newcastle, and could make his first league start today.
The match, being the first major clash of the new year, should be an exciting one, even for neutrals.
The Red Devils will most certainly need to “man up” (pun intended) if they are to have any hope of getting a positive result against City.
Given City’s inconsistency and defensive frailties though, it could leave the door slightly ajar and offer opportunities for United to strike.
Sesko has seemingly started to find form, having scored three goals in his last two matches − against Burnley and Brighton −and will be itching to add to his tally.
Having Mbeumo back from Afcon will also be a big boost for Carrick, meaning more firepower in attack.
The Cameroonian is United’s top scorer this season with seven goals in all competitions, including six in the league.
Still, City have the advantage over United, having won more league games at Old Trafford than any other visiting team, with nine victories.
In their last 10 encounters there, City have won five, drawn three and lost twice.
