Three things Michael Carrick could do to outclass Arsenal on Sunday

Manchester United travel to the Emirates Stadium for Sunday’s much-awaited Premier League clash against leaders Arsenal.

The Red Devils recently appointed Michael Carrick as the interim manager, and he had the perfect start against Manchester City.

United completely dominated the Cityzens in the league derby at Old Trafford. They won 2-0, but could have scored more with the numerous chances created.

With that result, United have moved within one point of fourth-placed Liverpool in the league and will be eyeing another victory at Arsenal.

The Red Devils have not won a league game at the Emirates since 2017, when David de Gea produced a goalkeeping masterclass in a 3-1 victory.

Ahead of the encounter, here are three things Carrick can learn from the reverse fixture against Arsenal at Old Trafford in August, which ended 0-1.

Defend set-pieces better

United have been one of the best goal scorers from set-piece situations, but it has also been their Achilles heel against Arsenal. The Gunners scored twice from corners during a 2-0 win over the Red Devils at the Emirates in December 2024.

They replicated the feat in the curtain-raiser at Old Trafford in August. Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was not commanding enough in the box, leaving Riccardo Calafiori with a free header at the far post. There was probably a foul involved on Bayindir, but he should have been more proactive.

United could face plenty of such scenarios in north London on Sunday. They need to defend better as a group. Keeping three players around the centre circle could be a ploy to reduce Arsenal bodies in the box. Senne Lammens should also be prepared to make high claims from set-piece situations.

Counter-attacks could be key

Arsenal may have conceded only 14 goals from 22 games in the top-flight campaign, but there is a potential weakness from counter-attacks. United’s direct playing style caused plenty of problems for the Gunners in the reverse fixture, but they could not find an equaliser.

Carrick has no reason to change things. United opened the scoring against the Cityzens last weekend with a stellar counter-attack, which started from Harry Maguire’s commanding header in the box. United should have similar opportunities against Arsenal, who play with a high defensive line.

Rebounds from set-pieces could provide opportunities for the Red Devils to get behind Arsenal’s strong backline. Marcus Rashford was a fine exponent of capitalising on such situations against the Gunners. The likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes could do the same.

High press Arsenal

Mikel Arteta’s side like to dominate possession at home, which helps them eventually create chances to score. While United’s counter-attacks were fantastic against Man City, the players were also brilliant with their high pressing in short bursts, which induced errors from their arch-rivals.

United commanded 61 percent of the possession at Old Trafford back in August. We don’t anticipate similar numbers at the Emirates, but the Red Devils must high press the Gunners, particularly at the front, given the London outfit prefer to play out from the back under Arteta’s tutelage.

Looking at recent league outings, Bournemouth capitalised on a poor pass from Gabriel Magalhaes to open the scoring. A mix-up between David Raya and William Saliba almost opened the scoring for Liverpool, but Conor Bradley unfortunately hit the woodwork. United can certainly cause some anxiety in the Gunners’ defence if they can time their high press to perfection.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .