Where was this Man Utd under Ruben Amorim?! Winners and losers after Michael Carrick unshackles Bruno Fernandes on derby day to remember while Man City pay the price for not getting Marc Guehi deal done quickly enough

On Friday, Carrick was asked if the club United become soulless, but he was quick to dismiss the suggestion, instead saying there was still plenty of magic still left in the club. It was exactly what United fans, and players, needed to hear after all of Amorim's sniping. And the interim coach, with the unconditional backing of the fans, helped unleashed that magic.

Carrick only had three days to work with the players at Carrington, but he managed to get them to run harder than they ever did under their predecessor, or during Darren Fletcher's two-game stint. United have not pressed their opponents with such hunger since Erik ten Hag's first season and they were ruthless too, continuing to pick holes in City after taking the lead before chasing a third goal while having three strikes ruled out for offside.

The former United midfielder made some bold decisions in his starting XI, but they all made sense. He brought Kobbie Mainoo in from his Amorim-led exile and the team played with much more fluidity than for most of the season. He managed to cram Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo into the team and get the best out of them as well as Patrick Dorgu, who shone on the left of the attack. Even starting Matheus Cunha on the bench seemed to unleash some fire in the Brazilian, who was electric when he was introduced and set up the second goal for Dorgu after Mbeumo had given a dominant United the lead.

Carrick knows that United will be looking for an elite-level coach in the summer, but it is hard to argue with his record in his two stints in charge so far: one draw and three wins, over Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and now Guardiola.

United waited and waited for Amorim's side take off, but after 14 months, they gave up, forced into a change due to the coach's stubborn personality and very poor results. Carrick, meanwhile, needed just one game to get a response out of his United team.

This was a very different style of football, more conservative in one sense as United had just 32 percent possession and were happy to wait their turn before hitting City on their break. But it was also an aggressive style of play, as they unveiled a targeted pressing plan, pouncing when they saw their moment. It was the fast, exciting football United fans feed off, and that which they saw so rarely under the previous manager.

One could say that Amorim was unlucky to lose Amad and Mbeumo for a month and Fernandes for three matches during the run of results which led to him losing his job. But he also had them available for the first four months of the season and their was only one good spell, the three-win sequence against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton in October. 

Looking at how Fernandes thrived in his more attacking role and how Amad did his damage as the wide forward rather than wing-back, it made Amorim's system seem all the more limiting and showed why United's hierarchy were right to get rid of him eventually.

This was the Fernandes that United fans had been begging to see, rather than the one sitting in a two-man midfield, controlling the play from deep that they had watched play under Amorim. They wanted to see their captain unleashed, and that's what they got as he masterminded their first win in a home derby against City since January 2023, when he was instrumental in a passionate and controversial 2-1 win.

Fernandes called the shots for United's attack, with all their best moves going through him. He contributed to United's first two disallowed goals, feeding Amad for one before running narrowly offside himself for the other. Even though the goals didn't stand, they gave United belief that they could beat City, and it was inevitable that when they did finally take the lead, Fernandes would be at the heart of the move. He galloped up the pitch after collecting a flick from Mbeumo, and with the Cameroon international and Amad as options, he slipped the ball to the former, which proved to be the right choice.

Carrick was hugely grateful to his skipper, saying: "I thought he was fantastic, the way he played the position. He's so clever how he takes up spaces. He had a disciplined role defensively as well to protect the team from anything through the middle as much as possible. It wasn't all playing and positivity to that point. He's got so much quality Bruno. He can adapt playing in that position he's a real threat. He made the difference."

Pep Guardiola said earlier this week that Erling Haaland was "exhausted", and he sure it looked it on Saturday. This performance came in total contrast to the Norwegian's dominant display in the previous derby at the Etihad Stadium in September, when Haaland had five shots, scored twice and hit the woodwork.

He had just two attempts at Old Trafford, but neither made it to the goal as his efforts were blocked by Martinez and Harry Maguire, respectively. In his 80 minutes on the pitch, Haaland had just 14 touches, struggling to find any space behind United's back four or even ask any questions of them.

Haaland effectively carried City with his explosive start to the season, and it seems to have taken its toll on him. He has started all 22 of their Premier League games, averaging 86 minutes per game, and in recent weeks he has barely got a rest. On Tuesday at Newcastle, he started his first Carabao Cup game in four seasons at City, while he even started against Exeter City, though he failed to score in the 10-1 drubbing of the League One side.

City should be worried about Haaland's general drop off in front of goal. He has only netted once in his last seven games, and that was a penalty against Brighton, with his last goals in open play coming the weekend before Christmas at home to West Ham. City have had little chance to rest Haaland, either, due to Omar Marmoush spending the maximum time at the Africa Cup of Nations while Egypt reached the semi-finals. 

Marmoush is due back for next Saturday's game against Wolves, although knowing Haaland, he will not want to rest, especially not against the weakest team in the league who offer the most obvious way out of his latest drought.

Phil Foden usually comes alive for the derby, but not on Saturday, when he was taken off after 45 uninspiring minutes. To tell the truth, he was fortunate to be in the starting line-up at all after some drab recent displays, and his incredible record against City's arch rivals was probably the only thing that protected him. 

But Foden just couldn't make anything happen. He struggled to connect with Haaland, and rather than him prodding United, it was left to Jeremy Doku to try and ask questions of a surprisingly resilient Red Devils' backline. The only threat he carried was with one corner delivery which led to Max Alleyne's header being saved by Senne Lammens. 

Foden looked to be in some physical bother when he left the pitch at half-time, but Guardiola was at pains to point out that there was nothing wrong with City's homegrown hero when asked if he had picked up an injury, responding: "No, it was my decision."

It will be fascinating to see what decision Guardiola makes for City's next game against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday, because Foden seems very close to being dropped.

Marc Guehi was free to watch the derby on television after being given permission to sit out Crystal Palace's game at Sunderland while he waits for his imminent move to City to go through. He might have been left in two minds, though.

He would have been forgiven for feeling a sense of alarm as the City team he is about to join were extremely shaky at the back and particularly vulnerable to counter-attacks. But the England international probably also believes that he can be an instant hero at the Etihad as he will be able to come straight in and bring some order to a defence that was twisted and turned inside out by their biggest rivals.

Guehi joins a City team missing their three best central defenders, with Josko Gvardiol out for the rest of the season, Ruben Dias potentially sidelined for another month and John Stones' return date still unknown while his future at the club looks doubtful heading into the last few months of his contract.

Nathan Ake is also injury prone and looked very uncomfortable up against Amad, while Alleyne is 20 and in his first season of senior football, having been brought back from his loan at Watford due to exceptional circumstances. Guehi might have to wait until next year at the earliest to win his first Premier League title with his new club, but at least he will be able to provide an instant upgrade at the heart of City's defence.