Carrick’s Emirates gameplan: where United will hurt Arteta’s Arsenal – analysis

Manchester United head to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. Michael Carrick will be looking for yet another statement performance as interim boss. Arsenal will aim to make the pitch narrow, overload the central areas, and then quickly switch play out wide in order to isolate Man United’s full-backs in one-v-one situations. Man United’s best option, therefore, will involve setting up in a compact mid-block, winning second balls and forcing Arsenal into individual errors in order to exploit the space in transition. Carrick has been keeping a tight lid when it comes to his approach, but he evidently appreciates the variety of options he has nonetheless. Regarding Arsenal’s team news, both Riccardo Calafiori and Pierro Hincapie are doubts for the game. For United, Matthijs de Ligt is still out while Noussair Mazraoui could be in contention again. Arteta’s strategy From a structural standpoint, Arsenal are a well-drilled side renowned for their aggression and organisation. They win the ball high up the pitch, recycle possession instantly, and keep the opposition pegged back in their own box. As previously hinted, Arsenal’s wingers such as Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli will intend to pin back Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot respectively. On the other hand, Martin Odegaard will look to operate in the half-spaces. In addition, Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice will constantly rotate between making late movements into the channels and dictating play from deep in the first and second phases of build-up play. Both Ben White and Jurrien Timber will take turns drifting inside with underlapping runs in the final third to further destabilise United’s shape. There is also the continuous threat of Gabriel Magalhaes at set-pieces. Carrick’s gameplan United, therefore, have to be very disciplined with their defensive structure. As soon as they gain possession after an attacking turnover, they have to take advantage and be ruthless on the counter. This is because Arsenal will get bodies back immediately to try and stop fast breaks. Lisandro Martinez should be his usual combative self, but also have the eye to play long balls into Amad. His passes have the capability to stretch the pitch, enable Man United to evade the press and turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye. Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo must also have top positional awareness in the middle of the park. Both midfielders alternating between stepping up and dropping back during different states of play will demand a high level of in-game intelligence. Bruno Fernandes. Need I say more? He is obviously the key man and any chances United have of winning rest on his ability to combine effectively with the likes of Patrick Dorgu, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Mason Mount. If Benjamin Sesko is in the starting 11, however, his movement and finishing could also prove vital. Against Arsenal’s high line, if he times and bends his runs correctly, he could easily find himself with plenty of chances to get on the scoresheet. Key take-home messages Arsenal will try to drag Harry Maguire into awkward positions. He, therefore, must decide when to jump up to block shots and cutbacks and when to delay and protect the space in behind. If Mainoo and Casemiro get forced into a straight line, Arsenal will play right through them. So they need to communicate and manage the distances between them. The match will be won in transition as Arsenal commit numbers forward. One incisive final ball from Fernandes can punish the opponent. If United stay cool, calm, and collected, it can become a game of moments. Sometimes a ‘smash-and-grab’ against the run of play is all it takes. To the victor go the spoils. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Okari Wambunya Okari Wambunya is a football writer at The Peoples Person, covering Manchester United with fast, source-led updates on team news, transfers, and matchday reaction. A former teacher, he now coaches grassroots football and continues to support young people through academic mentoring and youth work. He holds a BA (Hons) in English from Brunel University London and an MA in Education from King’s College London, with experience across digital journalism and broadcast sports media. Okari first praised Michael Carrick in a blog post he wrote at 16 years old in 2014; over a decade later, Man United appointing Carrick as interim head coach feels like a full-circle moment.