For the second time this season, Michael Carrick will have to get his Manchester United players to bounce back from defeat – although it will undoubtedly be a greater challenge.
His side beat arch-rivals Manchester City 1-0 last night, with the Red Devils maintaining a man advantage for more than an hour of the game.
However, Enzo Maresca’s side withstood the home side’s pressure in the closing moments, despite only registering three shots on target throughout the game.
Given the legend surrounding a player who started a local derby, many should have expected the story to be written before the ball was even kicked.
How Elliot Anderson dominated against Manchester United on Sunday
Manchester United have been at the front of the queue to sign Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson throughout the build-up to the summer transfer window.
Carrick’s side were unwilling to spend big money to sign the England international, which allowed Manchester City to beat the competition and sign the 23-year-old for £116 million.
He has since become a regular starter for Maresca this season, starting yesterday afternoon against the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
The midfielder won Gary Neville’s Man of the Match award for his performance and his underlying statistics showcased his qualities at both ends of the pitch.
Anderson had the most defensive contributions of any player on the field (13) and also covered the most distance (11.9 kilometers) of any player on the field.
He won 78% of ground duels while completing 6 tackles and 3 tackles, ultimately helping the visitors keep a clean sheet.
Even when in possession, the former Forest star caught the eye and subsequently completed seven breakaway passes for a pass completion rate of 87%.
Why 4/10 Manchester United star had his worst game at the club
Anderson’s talent was undoubtedly a factor in City’s victory at Old Trafford, but Carrick will also be bitterly disappointed with the performance of his United players.
The likes of Patrick Dolgu and Diogo Dalot have struggled to put in their best performances, prompting strong criticism from fans.
Brian Mbemo is another first-team player who failed to impress at Old Trafford, shooting just 33%.
However, midfielder Youri Tielemans is arguably the player who has struggled most at the heart of the team, with the Belgian enjoying his worst performance since his summer move.
The 31-year-old joined from Aston Villa this summer to join Kobe Minu in the backline but failed to eliminate the threat of Anderson.
His underlying numbers against Manchester City showed his struggles and the manager may need to reshuffle his midfield puzzle in the coming weeks.
Tielemans only played 67 minutes yesterday, but he failed to successfully dribble the ball or complete any crosses.
Those statistics highlighted his struggles with the ball at his feet, which prevented the Red Devils from breaking down the visitors’ resolve and failing to score for just the second time this season.
He also created just one chance in the narrow defeat, with neither he nor Bruno Fernandes able to open the door at Old Trafford.
Even without the ball, the Belgian was unable to draw attention and subsequently failed to receive the ball, winning just three ground duels.
Manchester United vs Manchester City player ratings | |
|---|---|
player | grade |
Sene Ramens | 6/10 |
Diogo Dalot | 4/10 |
Harry Maguire | 5/10 |
Lisandro Martinez | 5/10 |
Kobe Minu | 6/10 |
Youri Tielemans | 4/10 |
Brian Mbemo | 6/10 |
Bruno Fernandez | 5/10 |
Marcus Rashford | 6/10 |
Matthews Cunha | 5/10 |
Brian Mbemo | 5/10 |
The midfielder has been given a game rating of 4/10 after a performance that was undoubtedly the club’s worst of the recent transfer window.
Carrick should therefore desperately seek to omit the midfielder from the starting XI as the player is clearly unfit to play against top six opponents.
He certainly wasn’t the only player to disappoint, but his struggles allowed Anderson to take full advantage and show Red Devils fans what they were missing.