New manager bounce!
Michael Carrick’s second stint as interim Manchester United head coach couldn’t have started much better, with the Red Devils’ cross-city rivals deservedly beaten.
Here’s what we saw at Old Trafford.
FODEN INJURED… OR NOT?
Before we enthuse about United, a City injury update – sort of.
Phil Foden (£8.7m) lasted only 45 minutes of Saturday’s derby, with the England international and young centre-half Max Alleyne (£4.5m) hooked at half-time. Reports, such as the one below, suggested it was related to a hand injury.
Foden left Old Trafford with his right hand heavily bandaged. Have to wait for the results of scans to determine severity of injury #mcfc https://t.co/rGmKqWJpPT
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) January 17, 2026
Pep Guardiola was nonethewiser in his post-match presser, however, saying the substitution was tactical.
“No, it was my decision.” – Pep Guardiola on whether Phil Foden’s half-time substitution was injury-related
“No, I don’t think so.” – Pep Guardiola, when asked again if Phil Foden had a hand injury
If there is an issue that the City boss was merely unaware of, we should get another update on Foden on Monday. Guardiola will be facing the media ahead of the midweek clash with Bodo/Glimt.
Even if he’s fit, though, does he start in Gameweek 23? Guardiola cited Rayan Cherki‘s (£6.8m) attributes as a reason for Foden’s withdrawal. After Antoine Semenyo‘s (£7.6m) arrival, and with Omar Marmoush (£8.3m) now back and Jeremy Doku (£6.4m) available, it may be an either/or with those two in some games.
“I didn’t have Rayan Cherki, to have his composure with the ball, to find someone in the final third – we didn’t have [that] in the first [half].” – Pep Guardiola on why he took Phil Foden off, to Match of the Day
Matheus Nunes (£5.5m), incidentally, missed out on the derby with an illness.
POSITIVE UNITED
Even if the game had stayed at 0-0, or had City grabbed a late winner, we’d have still been writing about a very positive Manchester United display. Guardiola, indeed, said the “better team won”.
Carrick sent his side out in a fan-pleasing 4-2-3-1 but it was as much about attitude and aggression as formation. United attacked with pace and energy and defended as if their lives depended on it, from the relentless pressing from the front to Harry Maguire‘s (£4.3m) pocketing of Erling Haaland (£15.1m). It was the type of intensity that had been missing from United’s performances in recent years.
The question now: can they back it up? And more to the point, can they attack with the same purpose when they encounter lower blocks from Gameweek 24?
City played into United’s hands with their high line, and by allowing their hosts to break at speed. The Red Devils’ major problem in recent years has often been more about carving open stubborn backlines.
In fact, this season, United have won all five of the games in which they’ve had less than 45% possession. They’ve only won four of the other 18.
A different type of challenge awaits Carrick from Gameweek 24 – but he couldn’t have done much more here.
BRILLIANT BRUNO
Carrick, as predicted, put Bruno Fernandes (£9.1m) higher up the pitch.
Fernandes was nominally the ’10’ in a 4-2-3-1, but he was effectively part of a front two in the press and tried to run beyond the last man onto through-balls on a handful of occasions.
Even though his shot count officially said ‘zero’, this was how close he was to scoring when he ran onto a Lisandro Martinez (£4.8m) pass to find the net:
While United’s season-low possession rate of 32% meant he didn’t see as much of the ball as usual, the proportion of his touches that came in the final third was almost at a season-high:
| Gameweek | Match | % of Bruno’s touches that came in the final third |
| 5 | MUN vs CHE | 45.6% |
| 12 | MUN vs EVE | 43.1% |
| 22 | MUN vs MCI | 43.1% |
| 21 | BUR vs MUN | 42.6% |
| 14 | MUN vs WHU | 42.6% |
And, as ever, he created multiple chances. Six, in fact, the joint-highest of Gameweek 22. One was converted by Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m) for the game’s opener but there should have been other/further assists: a point-blank range header from Maguire that hit the bar, huge opportunities for Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu (£4.2m) that were saved, an Amad Diallo (£6.2m) effort that hit the post.
Fernandes even banked DefCon and bonus points for a double-digit haul.
Already the most-bought player of Gameweek 23, despite the tricky fixture, he’ll surely attract even more FPL interest from Gameweek 24.
“I thought again he was fantastic today. The way he played the position, he’s so clever and he takes up spaces. He had a big discipline role, him and Bryan [Mbeumo] too defensively as well to protect the team from anything coming through the middle as much as possible.” – Michael Carrick on Bruno Fernandes
‘OOP’ DORGU + MBEUMO, CARRICK ON CUNHA BENCHING
Carrick sprung a couple of surprises with his teamsheet, using Dorgu and Amad on either flank and Mbeumo up top. It meant that Benjamin Sesko (£7.2m) and Matheus Cunha (£8.1m) dropped to the bench.
“We have a good squad. There will always be players disappointed not to start, but finishing the game can be even more important. They have huge talent and it’s nothing personal.” – Michael Carrick speaking to Sky Sports about why he benched Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, reported here
Cunha looked like he’d taken the benching as a kick up the bum when he came on, haring around and setting up Dorgu for United’s second. A second assist was ruled out for offside.
The Brazilian may still have to play second fiddle in Gameweek 23, particularly as there’ll likely be a similar hit-them-on-the-break gameplan at the Emirates. Could Cunha and Sesko perhaps come back into the equation in more possession-heavy games? Time will tell.
They’ll have to get past Dorgu and Mbeumo in their respective positions, of course. Both players were a threat (and on the scoresheet), with all five of their combined efforts coming from 12 yards out or closer.
MAGUIRE A COLOSSUS
The teamsheet spelled bad news for Ayden Heaven (£3.8m) owners, although he was always on borrowed time until Maguire and/or Matthijs de Ligt (£4.9m) returned. On Saturday, it was Maguire.
It remains to be seen whether this clean sheet – only United’s third of 2025/26 – heralds a more defensively sound era or is just a false dawn. Maguire, with his aerial threat from corners (he hit the bar from one), is one to watch at a cut-price £4.3m.
Martinez bagged DefCon points, meanwhile.
“I’m not going to lie, it was a bit of a calculated gamble as well of how long he could play and if he could get through it because he’s literally trained for two or three days for probably eight or nine weeks, so it just shows you what it means really to him. I thought he was fantastic. Between him and Licha, they were so solid at the back and gave us the foundation to build on.” – Michael Carrick on Harry Maguire
A LACK OF ‘OOMPH’
It’s just one non-penalty goal in four Gameweeks for Manchester City, which of course conveniently ignores the 10-goal win over Exeter City last weekend.
City posted their lowest xG of the season (0.45) and it’s difficult to think of a decent chance they had. An Alleyne header that was clawed away and an Antoine Semenyo (£7.6m) shot that went wide were about the best of them.
Midweek exertions against Newcastle United may have been a factor.
“There is a lack of oomph for many, many games. A lot of players, we cannot rotate. Against Newcastle [in the EFL Cup], look in the second half, how good we were. Today we were missing that.” – Pep Guardiola
Semenyo was the only attacker to stay on for the full 90 minutes, with even Haaland withdrawn. Guardiola had earlier in the week described the Norwegian as “exhausted”, and there was a whiff of that at Old Trafford. Perhaps the returning Marmoush can ease the burden in midweek cup games, with Haaland now on a run of four blanks in five Gameweeks.
Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.7m) was one of the few Cityzens to emerge with much credit, making five saves, along with Abdukodir Khusanov (£5.4m).
Nico O’Reilly (£5.2m) failed to start at left-back for the fourth game in a row, meanwhile. He did come on in the second half to provide some hope for Gameweek 23 but remember that Marc Guehi (£5.3m) is on his way into the club imminently. Nathan Ake (£5.3m) may therefore remain competition for O’Reilly, along with Rayan Ait-Nouri (£5.7m), even if Alleyne’s goose is cooked.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on Max [Alleyne]. That’s why Nico [O’Reilly] in that position, he knows a little bit better, and that was the reason why.” – Pep Guardiola on why he took Max Alleyne off at half-time, shifting Nathan Ake from left-back to centre-half
