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Manchester United put table-toppers Arsenal to the sword last weekend in a pulsating Premier League clash at the Emirates.

Fresh from triumph in the Manchester Derby, Michael Carrick led the Red Devils to another crucial victory over the Gunners with a tactical set-up that pours further fuel on the fire of Ruben Amorim’s bizarre tactical experiment over the past 14 months.

Michael the Adaptable

The Portuguese coach obstinately implemented his 3-4-2-1 system after arriving to replace Erik ten Hag in November 2024, despite a wealth of evidence to suggest it was the wrong approach to get the best out of the United squad.

INEOS’s decision to bring an end to Amorim’s tumultuous tenure sent shockwaves across England – but Carrick’s success with a switch to a more familiar 4-2-3-1, a formation which honours the fundamental ethos of the country’s biggest club, has transformed the mood at Old Trafford. Amidst the sea of positivity on Sunday evening in north London, it was difficult to pick out a single moment which has the potential to define the remainder of a previously turbulent campaign.

Be it the resurgent Patrick Dorgu, reborn as an out-and-out left winger, the talismanic Bruno...