Manchester United may have lifted the mood around Old Trafford with their derby win over Manchester City, but interim manager Michael Carrick on Friday urged his squad to balance renewed confidence with caution ahead of their trip to leaders Arsenal.
United kicked off Carrick’s second spell in interim charge with an exhilarating 2-0 home victory over Pep Guardiola’s City in the Premier League on Saturday.
His attack-minded side swept away the gloom hanging over the club, with second-half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu underlining their dominance against a disappointing City whose title hopes suffered a significant setback.
“It has been a good week – a big result, a big performance and a big uplift with the feeling inside the stadium,” Carrick told reporters ahead of Sunday’s clash.
“It is finding a balance between getting the encouragement and confidence from the game and performance and keeping level-headed and keeping our feet on the ground.
“We have got another big game coming up. One game does not make you a great team, but it gives us a great foundation to build on.”
United sit fifth in the league with 35 points from 22 matches, while Arsenal lead the table on 50.
“Looking forward to the game, it’s a big challenge. They’re a very good team. They have so many strong points to their game. They are where they are for a reason, we’re fully aware of that,” the 44-year-old Englishman added.
Carrick also addressed the future of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who on Thursday announced he will leave the club at the end of the season on the expiry of his contract.
Although the 33-year-old has a one-year extension option, a team source said the club has chosen not to activate it.
Casemiro arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid in 2022 for around 60 million pounds ($81.11 million) and played a key role in United’s 2023 League Cup triumph, scoring in the final, as well as being part of their 2024 FA Cup win.
“The Casemiro announcement was for clarity as much as anything,” Carrick said. “It was decided before I arrived – it wasn’t a knee-jerk decision.
“But the type of personality and character he is, it shows with his performance last week where he is mentally and what it means to be here and finish the season strong.
“I’ve had the conversation with him – he’s desperate to do well and finish well.”