Manchester United secured their fourth consecutive Premier League win on Saturday as 10-man Tottenham were put to the sword at Old Trafford
Interim manager Michael Carrick secured a fourth consecutive Premier League victory since taking over at Manchester United when his team scored twice without reply against Tottenham Hotspur. The visitors were their own worst enemy at Old Trafford as captain Cristian Romero received a first-half red card but United couldn't relax until the final 10 minutes.
Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on the man advantage before half-time, slotting home United's opening goal shortly before the interval. The result wasn't secured until late on, though, with Bruno Fernandes grabbing the second when he turned home a Diogo Dalot cross.
Carrick's side now have an opportunity to extend their winning streak to five league matches when they face West Ham on Tuesday. The Hammers claimed a point at Old Trafford before Christmas but head into the midweek fixture sitting in the bottom three.
United supporters will have had much to celebrate over the weekend, with Champions League qualification a real possibility as they consolidated their position in the top four. Here are the latest lines after another welcome three points.
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Mainoo can do no wrong
When Ruben Amorim was in charge during the first half of the season, Kobbie Mainoo struggled to secure regular playing time at Manchester United. Amorim tended to deploy Bruno Fernandes deep alongside Casemiro in his preferred 3-4-3 set-up, leaving England international Mainoo used as a substitute if he was used at all.
Under Carrick's leadership, things have shifted, with Fernandes moving forward and Mainoo being included in the starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He has been a constant presence under the interim manager, starting all four games and playing impressing against Spurs before being substituted for Tyler Fletcher in the dying moments
He contributed an assist, setting up Mbeumo to slot past Guglielmo Vicario and give the hosts something to build on. After the match, former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves speculated on TNT Sports whether Mainoo might even have a chance to make it into England's World Cup squad.
Hargreaves described the current midfield balance as "perfect", positioning Mainoo as undroppable on current form. "Kobbie, for him not to play for a year and come and play like this is amazing. I think [he and Casemiro] complete each other," the pundit said.
Keane made to eat his words
Roy Keane's doubts about Jonny Evans joining Manchester United's first-team coaching staff have been brought back into focus. Evans was brought in to work alongside caretaker Darren Fletcher following Ruben Amorim's dismissal and has stayed on since Michael Carrick took over.
"It's not an issue with Jonny Evans, it's an issue with the club and the decision-making, who they're bringing in," Keane said following the appointment, highlighting the Northern Irishman's limited coaching credentials. Yet Carrick praised Evans for his contribution to United's opening goal on Saturday, suggesting he has a role to play despite that inexperience.
"Jonny [Evans] had his eye on set plays so it's great when things come off. Delighted with that," Carrick told TNT Sports during a half-time interview after United went ahead from a corner.