MANCHESTER DERBY : MAN UNITED VS MAN CITY – 17/01/2026 (PHOTO – BRYAN MBEUMO CELEBRATES)

WHAT A BLINDING START FOR NEW MAN UNITED MANAGER MICHAEL CARRICK IN THE MANCHESTER DERBY MATCH BETWEEN MAN UNITED AND MAN CITY TODAY!  HE PROVED THAT HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO TAKE A PERFECTLY DECENT (BUT PERHAPS SLIGHTLY DISHEARTENED TEAM), AND MOULD THEM INTO AN ATTACKING SQUAD, WITH GOALS AND SHOTS-ON-TARGET-A-PLENTY! (MICHAEL CARRICK HIMSELF, USED TO PLAY FOR MAN UNITED AND IS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS OF HIS GENERATION, FAMOUS FOR HIS SUPERB PASSING SKILLS!)  THE REASON THERE WERE SO MANY SHOTS ON-TARGET, BUT NOT REACHING-THE-BACK-OF-THE-NET, WAS BECAUSE OF DONNARUMMA’S PROWESS, WHOSE GOALKEEPING GLOVES WERE WELL-AND-TRULY FITTED, SAVING GOALS FROM DORGU,  AND A DOUBLE-BUBBLE FROM DIALLO (AND CASEMIRO ON THE REBOUND), AND THEN ANOTHER FROM MBEUMO.

MANCHESTER DERBY : MAN UNITED VS MAN CITY – 17/01/2026

HOWEVER, DONNARUMMA WAS UNABLE TO SAVE 2 CRACKERS FROM MBEUMO AT 65 MINS. (BELOW)

AND DORGU AT 76 MINS. (BELOW)

(BELOW – DORGU CELEBRATES)

AS MAN UNITED HAD 10 SHOTS WITH 7 ON-TARGET, WITH THESE 2 STUNNERS, SUCCESSFULLY REACHING-THE-BACK-OF-THE-NET!  IT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE, IF MAN UNITED HAD NOT HAD 3 GOALS RULED OUT FOR BEING OFFSIDE!

MAN CITY HAD 7 SHOTS, BUT 0 ON-TARGET, (PLUS 68% POSSESSION) BUT WITH ERLING HAALAND HAVING TO BE TAKEN OFF 10 MINUTES TOWARDS THE END LOOKING INJURED, AND AN EARLIER INCIDENT AT 11 MINS. WHEN DALOT TOOK DOKU DOWN WITH A HIGH-KICK LEAVING HIM WRITHING AROUND IN PAIN, (THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON WHETHER HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A RED CARD INSTEAD OF A YELLOW), MAN CITY, JUST DIDN’T LOOK AT THEIR BRILLIANT BEST TODAY.  (THEY, TOO, HAVE HAD A BUSY SCHEDULE RECENTLY!)

BUT IT DIDN’T BOTHER THE MAN UNITED FANS ONE IOTA WHO WERE IN RAPTURES, ALONG WITH SIR ALEX FERGUSON WHO WAS IN THE CROWD, CLAPPING AND SMILING BROADLY!  WHAT A DAY FOR THEM!

AND WHAT A SUPERB START FOR MICHAEL CARRICK, WHO HAS TURNED THE CLUB’S FORTUNES AROUND IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME!  CONGRATULATIONS MAN UNITED!

PEP GUARDIOLA SPEAKS AFTER THE MATCH

MICHAEL CARRICK SPEAKS AFTER THE MATCH

MBEUMO AND MARTINEZ SPEAK AFTER THE MATCH

“HONOUR AMONGST MANAGERS” AT THE BLOW OF THE WHISTLE!👍

BY AMANDA WATERS