Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger heaped praise on Michael Carrick for delivering the perfect game plan to down title favourites Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Just 12 days on from taking the job to replace Ruben Amorim as head coach until the end of the season, Carrick has out-coached Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta in successive games to help serve up back to back wins for United.
Wenger, who enjoyed numerous duels against Manchester United over the years, was full of praise for Carrick and his staff.
‘I think there is something going on in this Man United team between the way they beat Man City and the way they beat Arsenal today,’ Wenger said on beIN Sports.
‘The way they played was very convincing and as well, when Arsenal came back to 2-2 usually it’s the home team who wins the game.
‘[United] found again the resources to score the third goal and to win 3-2 away from home in a top game, I have to congratulate Carrick. He has created something.’
Michael Carrick has ‘found a formula’ to bring Man United success, believes Arsene Wenger
Arsenal remain top of the table, leading by four points after 23 games played, but Wenger has seen cracks in the armour that Carrick and United helped expose.
‘When you concede three goals at home it’s difficult to win,’ Wenger added.
‘The goals scored on both sides illustrated a little bit the way the two teams played.
‘The games of Man United they are well built up, good cohesion, and the games of Arsenal were more decided by power and fighting on the corner, for example with the second goal.
‘The first goal, as well, was not clean play. They gave everything Arsenal but lacked a bit, as I said in the first half, the patience and technical cohesion.’
Wenger continued: ‘I believe that Carrick has found a good formula that is a good balance between defensive stability and a good technical level.
‘It’s the first time I felt the [Arsenal] centre backs were a bit more nervous and less dominant than usually in the games.’
Wenger’s concerns were echoed by his former captain Patrick Vieira, working as a pundit over on Sky Sports.
The former Arsenal manager believes a lack of patience is hurting his former team right now
‘They need to go back to the basics, to express themselves, play with freedom, and go forward,’ Vieira said of Arsenal.
‘There were too many players that didn’t perform today.
‘It was a must-win game. They needed to send a message to the rest of the teams in the league.’
