Manchester United Vs Manchester City [2–0] – Premier League 2025/2026: Michael Carrick’s First Big Statement – Tactical Analysis

Saturdays Manchester Derby delivered far more than just another fixture in the Premier League calendar; it was a compelling emotional matchup in motion between Manchester United and Manchester City.

The two teams, respectively under the watchful eyes of newly appointed interim manager Michael Carrick and Pep Guardiola, approached this contest with tactics that reflected their broader philosophies: City sought to control tempo through positional rotation and high-possession sequences, while Manchester United aimed to disrupt that rhythm with aggressive pressing and vertical attacks.

From the opening whistle, the battle for midfield superiority defined the narrative, as City’s intricate build-up play confronted United’s compact structure and coordinated press.

Guardiola’s side tried to dominate with high blocks and rapid switches of play, probing for pockets to exploit in the half-spaces.

In contrast, Carrick‘s men frequently invited pressure before launching swift counterattacks that sought to punish the favoured visitors.

These contrasting tactical identities made for a fascinating match in the legendary Old Trafford, with Manchester United coming away with the big win in the derby.

In this tactical analysis, we’ll unpack how each manager’s game plan sought to impose itself on the opposition, highlighting key moments where stylistic principles were or were not executed, deciding the game in favour of Michael Carrick’s men.

Formations & Lineups

After the sacking of Ruben Amorim, Carrick is now the second interim manager for Manchester United, and, like Darren Fletcher, he has decided to use a 4-2-3-1 formation with his new squad.

Senne Lammens started in goal, Luke Shaw played on the left defensive side, Diogo Dalot played on the right defensive side, and Lisandro Martínez and Harry Maguire formed the centre-back pairing.

After not getting much playing time under his former manager, Kobbie Mainoo played in central midfield alongside Casemiro, with Bruno Fernandes as the attacking midfielder.

Patrick Dorgu started on the left wing, with Amad Diallo being his partner on the right side, flanking Bryan Mbeumo as the lone striker.

Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, decided to go with his usual 4-3-3 formation, which he used for the majority of his career, dating back to his days at FC Barcelona, but currently has to overcome a lot of injury problems in his defence.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was back in goal, but with Joško Gvardiol, Rúben Dias and John Stones all injured, Guardiola had to play a back-four consisting of Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Max Alleyne and Nathan Aké.

In midfield, Rodri played as the holding midfielder, with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva playing as the two central midfielders, finally giving Pep his best possible midfield option back after Rodri heavily struggled with injuries throughout the season so far.

New winter signing Antoine Semenyo played on the right wing, Jérémy Doku on the left, and Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland headlined the lineup as the lone striker.

City Execution Struggles

After their huge problems over the last couple of seasons, as well as the dominance of City and Guardiola in the Premier League over the last decade, Manchester United were the clear underdogs in this game, despite playing at home.

Both teams took on their respective roles, and City dominated the game through possession, holding about two-thirds of it.

Interestingly enough, City had few opportunities in front of the goal; instead, Manchester United were the more dangerous team from start to finish.

Most of those problems were self-imposed for Guardiola’s team, especially their backline, which had huge problems with and without the ball.

With the ball, City tried to build up with short passes.

Th