Carrick 'delighted' with 26yo Man Utd star after what he did last week, poised to start vs Arsenal

Manchester United are set to travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Sunday.

It will be an important clash for both teams, with only 16 Premier League games left in the 2025-26 season.

United new head coach Michael Carrick will once again be in the dugout, fresh from orchestrating a statement 2–0 victory over fierce rivals Manchester City.

Another positive result in North London would further fuel confidence and reinforce the growing sense of revival around Old Trafford.

Carrick praised Diogo Dalot during the pre-match press conference on Friday.

He said (via ManUtd.com): “I thought he played ever so well last week, I have to say. There was obviously the incident with the yellow card and that was probably after 10 minutes or so, so to go one-to-one with the winger for the rest of the game and to manage that, and to defend as well as he did, it was very impressive, so I was delighted with him last week.

“He is desperate to do well and he loves playing for the club. You can see that. As I say, he played fantastically well last week, so there’s a lot for him to build on.”

Dalot poised to start vs Arsenal

The 26-year-old endured a tough start to the campaign, with his weakness in attack clearly visible in former manager Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.

While he delivered a few dependable displays at left wing-back, Carrick has now restored him to his preferred right-back role.

Dalot continues to find himself in promising attacking positions, yet frustration has followed due to poor decision-making in the final third.

Against City, United repeatedly exploited space on his flank, but the Portugal international squandered several opportunities with misplaced or delayed passes.

As one of the longest-serving members of the current squad, Dalot can no longer hide behind inexperience and must now embrace greater responsibility.

Competition is also intensifying, with Noussair Mazraoui available again following Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

United have opted to ease Mazraoui back into action, granting him a short rest, and he is expected to begin on the bench at the Emirates.

Dalot is likely to keep his starting berth but only a commanding performance will ensure he holds onto it.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .