Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick said he “had a good feeling” about his side’s 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, and that “to get back to winning ways.”
Since taking over the reins, Carrick has steadied a swaying ship left in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s departure, winning seven of his nine matches in charge of the Red Devils.
He suffered the first defeat of his United tenure on 4th March, after William Osula cancelled out Casemiro’s 54th-minute header to ensure Newcastle took all three points at St James Park.
But after a masterclass from United’s skipper Bruno Fernandes, Carrick and co returned to winning ways with a statement 3-1 win against Champions League chasing rivals Aston Villa.
Masterclass Moment for Manchester United
“It was an important game, for sure. Going into the match, we’ve never been in that situation, with a defeat coming into the game, so it could go either way,” Carrick told MUTV after the match. “But the boys have dealt with all of that really well; they have done all week. So I had a good feeling about today.”
It was the perfect response from Manchester United after their poor performance over the past four games. Those displays led to much criticism, including from Paul Scholes.
While Carrick and his side have been producing results, there is no denying that in the four matches leading up to the clash with Aston Villa, Manchester United lacked the same intensity they displayed when defeating Manchester City and Arsenal in Carrick’s first two games in interim charge.
On multiple occasions, it has fallen to the clutch exploits of Benjamin Sesko to snatch results from the jaws of defeat. The Slovenian struck a 96th-minute equaliser against West Ham United, before emerging as the hero off the bench to score the winning goals in victories over Everton and Crystal Palace.
Against Aston Villa, the players looked more energised as they eventually ran out to a comfortable 3-1 win—courtesy of yet another Benjamin Sesko goal.
Despite Ross Barkley’s controversial 63rd-minute equaliser, Manchester United remained largely comfortable throughout the match. “There was only a little spell before they scored where we lost their shape a bit,” Carrick explained.
Bruno brilliance backbone of United win
Throughout his post-match press conference, Carrick praised skipper Bruno Fernandes.
Over the past six years, the Portuguese captain has blossomed into one of the world’s best players, and this year he may finally receive the recognition he deserves.
After teeing up Casemiro and Matheus Cunha to put United ahead, Fernandes now holds the record for the most assists in a single league season for Manchester United.
With eight games left of the Premier League season, Fernandes needs just four assists to qualify Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s joint record—set in 2002/03 and 2019/20 seasons respectively—and needs just five to break it.
With the skipper averaging just under an assist a game during Carrick’s term, he is firmly on course not only to equal, but potentially surpass these legendary marks, further cementing his status as one of the greatest players ever to grace the Old Trafford turf.
