Carrick’s United stun City 2-0 as new era lifts Old Trafford; Arsenal held, Liverpool booed in Premier League shake-up
MANCHESTER, England — Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026 — Manchester United’s latest reboot is off to a flying start. In Michael Carrick’s first game as coach, United beat Manchester City 2-0 in the 198th Manchester derby, lifting the gloom at Old Trafford and reshaping the Premier League picture on a febrile Saturday.
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“It’s a great start,” Carrick said after four whirlwind days in the job. “It was a very special day but I’m not getting carried away. It needs to be a regular feeling, that level of performance needs to be consistently what we’re getting.”
Carrick, contracted to the end of the season, has 17 league games to convince United’s hierarchy he is the permanent answer. On this evidence, he could hardly have begun better. United, bold and aggressive throughout, overran the champions and twice rattled the woodwork. Three more celebrations were cut short by offside flags — including Mason Mount’s late strike overturned by VAR in the 89th minute — but the margin ultimately felt right.
Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring in the 65th minute, finishing low into the far corner after a swift counter. Patrick Dorgu doubled the lead 11 minutes later, stealing across Rico Lewis to convert substitute Matheus Cunha’s cross from close range. With United’s press biting and the hosts carrying menace in transition, City’s usually unflappable rhythm never arrived.
“The better team won,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “When a team is better you have to accept it. They had an energy we didn’t have. Congratulations.”
Inside Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson watched on with a beaming smile as the stadium rediscovered its voice. “The supporters were incredible. This could be a magical place,” Carrick said. “To get that feeling is exactly what we want. Hopefully it’s just the start.”
The win pushed fifth-place United into firm contention for Champions League qualification and further complicated City’s title defense. City’s winless run stretched to four matches, and Arsenal’s draw later in the day left Guardiola’s side seven points off the leaders.
Arsenal held again, City lose ground
League-leading Arsenal failed to make full use of City’s slip, drawing 0-0 at Nottingham Forest. It was a second straight scoreless game — the first time in 14 years the Gunners have endured consecutive goalless draws — and Forest became only the second team this season, after Liverpool (twice), to keep Arsenal from scoring.
Third-place Aston Villa can trim the gap to the summit to four points if it wins at Everton on Sunday.
Boos at Anfield as Liverpool’s winless skid hits four
At Anfield, second-to-last Burnley frustrated defending champion Liverpool in a 1-1 draw, extending Liverpool’s wait for a first league win of 2026 and its winless run to four. The final whistle brought loud jeers from the home crowd.
Florian Wirtz continued his eye-catching surge with a fourth goal in six games, but Marcus Edwards equalized after halftime and Burnley, compact and committed, survived wave after wave of pressure.
“In my head it wasn’t booing but in my head it was frustration as well,” coach Arne Slot said. “We have to give credit to Burnley for defending, clearing balls off the line, all the things you want to see if you are the Burnley manager, trying everything to prevent us scoring. But if you, as Liverpool, are not disappointed by having a draw at home to Burnley then something is completely wrong.”
The draw left United a point behind Liverpool in the standings.
West Ham break the drought late against Spurs
West Ham snatched a 2-1 win over Tottenham, with Callum Wilson grabbing the decisive goal in added time to end a 10-game winless stretch. The dramatic finish jolted a tense relegation fight and handed Spurs a damaging defeat in the top-four chase.
Rosenior’s winning league bow at Chelsea
Liam Rosenior enjoyed a winning league debut as Chelsea coach, beating high-flying Brentford 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Joao Pedro struck in the first half and Cole Palmer added a second from the penalty spot after the break. The result snapped Brentford’s five-game unbeaten run and lifted Chelsea above its London rival into sixth place.
Leeds’ late show continues remarkable rise
Leeds’ impressive return to the top flight gathered more steam with a 1-0 win at Fulham courtesy of Lukas Nmecha’s stoppage-time strike. Newly promoted Leeds has lost just one of its last nine in the league and one of 10 across all competitions, a run that has its supporters daring to dream of a top-half finish.
Palace turmoil deepens amid Guehi sale and Sunderland loss
Crystal Palace’s difficult week worsened with a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, a day after manager Oliver Glasner confirmed he would leave at season’s end. Glasner’s post-match frustration centered on the impending sale of captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City, the latest high-profile departure following forwards Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.
“I feel we are being abandoned completely,” Glasner told the BBC. “We have 12, 13 players from the squad available and we feel no support. The worst thing is selling our captain one day before playing a Premier League game.”
Big picture
United claimed the derby and a measure of momentum under Carrick, with a performance defined by energy, directness and a willingness to take risks. City, meanwhile, must rediscover its verve quickly to prevent the gap to Arsenal from widening further.
Arsenal’s stutter keeps the race alive for the chasing pack; Villa’s Sunday assignment at Everton suddenly carries added weight. Liverpool’s stumble, met with anger inside Anfield, intensifies the pressure heading into a critical stretch. And below the summit, the margins are tight: Chelsea’s bounce under Rosenior, Leeds’ resilience, and West Ham’s release hint at fast-moving currents in both halves of the table.
For United, the task is clear — turn one stirring afternoon into a new standard. As Carrick put it, the point is not the flash of a beginning, but what follows.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
