IT took Ruben Amorim a whole year to win back-to-back games at Manchester United, but Michael Carrick managed it in just two weeks.
Carrick’s red revolution has seen the Red Devils win back-to-back games firstly against Manchester City and now against Arsenal.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha saw United earn a first league win at the Emirates since 2017 as they won a thrilling rollercoaster contest 3-2.
But what did Carrick change against Arsenal to see United clinch three vital points? SunSport’s tactics guru Dean Scoggins has taken a look at the action in the latest episode of SunSport’s hit Tactics Exposed show.
Carrick’s rope-a-dope
Carrick perfectly set up United to sit inside the Arsenal shape. The Gunners are both predictable and unquestionably very good at what they do, after all they are top of the Premier League for a reason.
However, Carrick set-up the United team to be virtually identical to how they looked against City.
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Against Arsenal, United – and particularly Amad Diallo and Dorgu – needed to be incredibly disciplined in not allowing the Gunners to stretch the game.
There was also the screening pair of Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro once again cutting out anything Arsenal attempted centrally, but curiously they never made a single interception or tackle throughout the game.
A note should also be made for Steve Holland’s impact, who has joined Carrick at United as his assistant manager, when considering the formation used which was set up “inside” the Arsenal shape.
The strategy used Arsenal’s formation against them, with Mikel Arteta’s side being forced into a horseshoe shape.
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United were very brave with their full-backs going down the outside meaning a tracking winger was pinned back and creating an extra man in midfield.
Not to dwell on Amorim, but the new formation feels like United are playing with two extra players.
Ballon Dorgu
Dorgu has had quite the turnaround in the last few weeks, going from a frustrating wing-back to comparisons with Gareth Bale.
The 21-year-old appears to have flourished since moving into a more attacking role.
There is a clear emphasis on clear plans and combinations from Carrick, Holland and Jonathan Woodgate, both offensively and defensively.
Mainoo perfectly epitomises this with the number of short passes he made in little pockets all over the field, allowing players like Dorgu to get into positions he prefers more centrally.
The combo of Fernandes, Mainoo, Luke Shaw overlapping and Dorgu in midfield, as well as Mbeumo dragging away the defence with some clever movement of his own, created a box of space in front of the penalty area which led to Dorgu’s screamer in the second half.
The newfound freedom of the system has allowed players to go and be footballers, whereas before some of them seemed to be “paralyzed” by fear.
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The old switcheroo
Mbeumo, Fernandes and Amad are all working as a superb trio on the right-hand side and it has been incredibly effective against City and Arsenal.
With Shaw tucking in on one side it has almost turned the system into a 3-4-3, with Mbeumo dropping in before Amad moved into that position.
Fernandes was followed around by William Saliba in an effort to deny him space, but with Amad and Mbeumo also buzzing around the same area it created an overload for United to collect the ball in dangerous areas.
This caused a real sense of confusion in the Arsenal defence when the ball went into the United attacking line.
Mbeumo’s opening goal was a horrible Martin Zubimendi mistake, but United players’ understanding of where they would be helped to create it.
United were able to force Arsenal into areas they didn’t want to be.
And even with the introduction of Benjamin Sesko and Cunha, the combos didn’t suffer, and the Slovenian dragging away defenders like Mbeumo had handed Cunha the space to hit his winner.
Coolhand Luke
Shaw is one of the players to have most benefitted from the change of shape under Carrick.
Early on Jurrien Timber was seen going up the inside a lot, it meant Shaw had to tuck in which left Dorgu one-v-one against Bukayo Saka.
United identified this tactical trick helped lead up to the goal and called Shaw over during a break in play and told him to ensure Dorgu was inside him so he could go up against his England team-mate.
Saka failed to beat Shaw during the game and had him pinned on the touchline, while Mainoo and Casemiro occupied space behind Shaw to force Saka backwards.
Flop Gunns
Arsenal should still go on to win the Premier League this year, even though the defeat to United – a first home defeat of the season – was damaging.
They dominated in the opening half an hour, and but for Zubimendi’s mistake, they likely would go on to win the game.
However, with the likes of Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus feeling so disconnected, it was a stark contrast to the fluid way United played.
Arteta made a number of subs to chase the game. These were safe, but that safety means there was no freedom to them.
The real surprise was moving Saka to the left to accommodate the introduction of Noni Madueke on the right.
But on the whole they were changes without inspiration.
Arsenal face Leeds next, and in that game they need to flip the switch from taking risk in their own third to the attacking third.
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