Michael Carrick with Explosive Message After Man Utd Victory

Michael Carrick has made it clear he is refusing to get swept up in the growing wave of optimism surrounding Manchester United, insisting the club have not suddenly “cracked it” despite extending their impressive run of form with a composed victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

United’s momentum continued at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime as goals from Bryan Mbeumo and captain Bruno Fernandes sealed a deserved 2–0 win against a Spurs side reduced to ten men following Cristian Romero’s reckless red card. The Tottenham skipper later issued an apology to his teammates after his dismissal proved pivotal in the contest.

The turnaround at United has been remarkable given how turbulent the season began. What started with Ruben Amorim’s sudden departure and a string of uninspiring performances has been revitalised by the appointment of Carrick, the club’s former midfielder, captain and coach, who was handed responsibility for the remainder of the campaign. Under his guidance, the Red Devils have rediscovered belief and structure, producing a run of results few would have predicted earlier in the season.

Victory over Spurs followed eye-catching league wins against Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham, marking the first time in two years that United have won four consecutive Premier League matches. The latest success lifted them into fourth place on 44 points – already two more than they accumulated across the entire previous campaign – and firmly back into the conversation for Champions League qualification.

Despite the surge, Carrick struck a measured tone when assessing his side’s progress. “It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s changed,” he admitted. “What I am pleased with is the buy-in from the players, the connection within the group and the fact that everyone is fully invested. That goes a long way.

“At different moments, games can flow in different ways and a team can look very good or very bad depending on the situation. But being in a really strong emotional place helps, and that was evident again today.”

Carrick also highlighted the tactical flexibility his side have shown during their winning run. “Today was different,” he added. “We had to manage the game, control it, show patience and deliver quality at the right moments. There are different ways to win matches.

“These four games have all looked slightly different, which is encouraging, but we’re not getting carried away. I’m not sitting here thinking everything is perfect or that we’ve solved everything. There’s still a huge amount of work to do, and I’m very aware of that.”

The United boss reserved particular praise for Fernandes, whose leadership and composure once again set the tone on a day when Tottenham’s captain endured a nightmare afternoon. Romero’s red card in the 29th minute, after catching Casemiro on the ankle while attempting a challenge, swung the balance decisively in United’s favour.

Spurs head coach Thomas Frank was quick to defend his skipper, stressing that there was no malicious intent. “He clearly tried to go for the ball,” Frank said. “He was very sorry about the incident and apologised to his teammates in the dressing room.

“He’s one of our most important players. When he’s performing at his highest level, he drives the team.”

Nevertheless, the dismissal added to Romero’s growing disciplinary record. The Argentine has now been sent off six times in all competitions since making his Tottenham debut in August 2021 – more than any other Premier League player during that period. The statistic surprised Frank, who reiterated that he has no regrets about handing Romero the captain’s armband and confirmed it would not be reconsidered, even after a turbulent week in which he publicly criticised Spurs’ “disgraceful” squad depth.

Romero will now serve a four-match suspension, starting with Tuesday night’s home clash against Newcastle United. Tottenham could also be without Destiny Udogie as their injury problems continue to mount, compounding the challenge as they search for their first Premier League victory of 2026.

Reflecting on his side’s struggles, Frank admitted results have not matched performances. “We haven’t won enough games in the Premier League,” he said after overseeing a seventh straight top-flight match without a win. “We’re coming off the back of four solid performances where we showed a lot of resilience.

“Even before that, we were showing character, but we didn’t get the results we needed, especially in games where we improved in the second half. There’s still plenty to be positive about in terms of resilience, but performances have to be backed up with a little bit more quality and consistency.

“If we keep doing the right things, the results will eventually come.”

For now, the contrast between the two clubs could hardly be sharper: United riding a wave of renewed confidence under Carrick’s steady hand, and Tottenham once again left searching for answers amid mounting frustration.