According to Manchester Evening News, Carrick should continue starting Cunha as the striker in the match against Manchester City, rather than starting Sesko.

Manchester United will face Manchester City in the Premier League, but defensive issues are not Carrick's biggest concern for this match. Sesko scored a late equalizer against Everton, but Manchester United failed to maintain their lead.

Manchester United's defensive problems have been evident since the start of the 2024/25 season. Facing Haaland and Manchester City, even a top-class defense can be breached, so Carrick needs to consider his personnel choices in other areas.

With Amad injured and Sesko lacking match fitness, Carrick previously deployed Cunha as the striker. Cunha is fully capable of playing this role, but he prefers to cut in from the left wing and operate in the spaces between the lines.

Rashford continues his role from last season, while Mbeumo operates on the opposite flank. Mbeumo played as striker against Manchester City earlier this year and is better suited to play in the front line; Cunha tends to drop deeper to receive the ball.

Cunha has scored 7 goals in 3 matches, but his position ironically creates problems for Manchester United's attack, as he and Bruno Fernandes often occupy similar areas, forcing Bruno Fernandes to drop even deeper. In the match against Ipswich, Bruno Fernandes still scored a hat-trick, but that match became wide open after Ipswich were awarded a penalty and then benefited from a fortunate own goal.

After scoring and gaining more playing time, Sesko has an opportunity to make his first league start of the season. However, the match against Manchester City may be one of the few occasions when continuing to use Cunha as striker makes more tactical sense.

Manchester City are expected to dominate possession, and Manchester United will need to be patient and organize counterattacks, similar to their 2-0 victory against Manchester City at Old Trafford earlier this year. Cunha is nearly an ideal candidate for this approach.

Cunha's ability to win fouls and his passing range could help Mbeumo, Rashford, and others launch attacks. With his pace, Rashford could be Manchester United's main counterattacking outlet behind the opposition defense.

Cunha can also help Manchester United disrupt Manchester City's buildup play through midfield, providing an extra body in the center and forcing Manchester City to go wide. Manchester City certainly won't be concerned about this, especially with Haaland having scored 3 headers this season, but it would limit Manchester City's attacking options.

If Manchester United can take the lead, they may not need to bring Sesko on; but when a goal is needed, the 23-year-old Sesko is one of the best options. He has scored 5 goals as a substitute since joining Manchester United and could exploit Manchester City's loose defense late in the match.

Carrick's starting lineup for the Champions League match against Sabah Baku could hint at his considerations for Sunday's derby. Given the different style of opponent and Sesko still regaining match fitness, starting Sesko against Manchester City may be the more sensible choice.

Since Carrick took over Manchester United, the team has beaten several Premier League powerhouses, and Cunha has contributed goals in these victories. He scored against Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool, and previously assisted in a win over Manchester City, which further suggests he should continue starting ahead of Sesko this weekend.

Website AF đã ra mắt! Xem tin tức đầy đủ, bình luận, chi tiết trận đấu và thống kê trên máy tính. Truy cập: www.allfootballapp.com