Michael Carrick praised his Manchester United side for building real momentum after they secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
‘We Want to Look Behind Us’: Carrick Hails Man United’s Fighting Spirit
The win lifts the Red Devils into third place in the Premier League table, moving them two points clear of Aston Villa on 58 games.
It also erases the memory of Monday’s disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Leeds United in the derby.
United achieved the result despite missing four senior centre-backs. Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt all sat out the clash.
Carrick’s makeshift defence, featuring Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui, rose to the challenge superbly.
“Coming here, we haven’t had a great record. But records exist to be broken,” Carrick said after the match.
“That was a massive win for us. Chelsea had their opportunities, but to keep a clean sheet and defend like we did required a huge amount of work over the last day or so.”
The United boss singled out his young defender Heaven and Mazraoui, who played out of position.
“I thought Ayden and Noussair coming in were incredible. Ayden is such a young age, and Noussair hasn’t really played centre-back in a back four.
I must give the coaching staff a lot of credit for preparing the boys so well.”
Carrick also heaped praise on captain Bruno Fernandes. “Bruno has been immense for a long time.
He plays most games, he stays fit, and he stays hungry. He had a big shift to do in midfield, but he willingly did it for the team. He leads by example and shows the way.”
When asked about his own future, Carrick remained focused on the present. “I love being here. I understand the situation – it’s a bit out of my hands.
You want to be part of nights like this and part of creating something special. I don’t have a time frame.”
United now look to push higher up the table. “We want to look behind us,” Carrick added. “We’re still not high enough, but this builds a foundation.”
