Manchester United – Manchester City: Carrick is Off to a Cracker (2-0)

Derby day does something to stir up the spirit of the sides involved, and it was the perfect environment for a debutant to get his time in the dugout on the right path. Old Trafford rose to applaud a performance that rolled back the years and left the blues down in the dumps.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

For Manchester City, the last edition of the derby was the catalyst for their campaign. A 3-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium stifled critics after losses in two of their first three Premier League fixtures, and things have continued to get better for the team. They now sit in second spot in the table and have one foot in the final of the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 triumph over Newcastle United in midweek. After three successive stalemates in the league, will their typically strong tail end to the season start here?

Meanwhile, Manchester United have cycled through another figurehead. Ruben Amorim took the team to the top six, but to some, stubbornness of speech and selection seemed an impediment to the side. Scrappy showings still . . .