Manchester United's January 2026 was a month of two halves — and honestly, a tale of two managers. Darren Fletcher was brought in as interim boss the day Ruben Amorim was sacked on January 5, tasked with steadying the ship. He didn't get much time to do it. By the time the Manchester derby rolled around on January 17, Michael Carrick had been named as head coach until the end of the season. The results in between told a pretty clear story about where this club was heading — and where it needed to go.
January 11 — Manchester United 1-2 Brighton (FA Cup Third Round)
If the Amorim era ended badly, the post-Amorim era didn't exactly start with a bang. Darren Fletcher oversaw a third-round FA Cup exit in what turned out to be his final match in interim charge, as Brighton ended a run of six straight FA Cup defeats to United with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. ESPN
Former United striker Danny Welbeck, always happy to score against his old club, got on the scoresheet along with Brajan Gruda, who opened things up early in the first half. ESPN Benjamin Sesko pulled one back late with a header, but a consolation was all United could manage. Things got worse when teenage substitute Shea Lacey was sent off for collecting two quick yellow cards in the closing minutes. Manchester United
It was the first time United had fallen at the first hurdle in both domestic cup competitions in the same season since 1981-82, meaning they'd now be focused entirely on the Premier League for the rest of the year. ESPN Not exactly the fresh start anyone was hoping for.
January 17 — Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City (Premier League)
Now this is more like it.
Michael Carrick enjoyed a dream start to life in the Manchester United hot seat as Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu secured a morale-boosting 2-0 derby victory against title-chasing Manchester City. ESPN The atmosphere at Old Trafford was noticeably different — United looked different and Old Trafford felt different. Sky Sports It turns out all it took was ditching the 3-4-3.
Carrick continued as Darren Fletcher had done in ditching Ruben Amorim's three-at-the-back system and set up United in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Mbeumo playing as a center-forward. He also reinstated Harry Maguire, back from injury, and Kobbie Mainoo, a fan favourite who had found game time hard to come by under Amorim. The Analyst
United were dominant from the jump. Maguire almost opened the scoring just three minutes in, meeting a corner with a crashing header that came back off the crossbar. Manchester United Amad and Bruno Fernandes had goals disallowed for offside in the first half, but United's intensity didn't drop after the break. Premier League
Mbeumo's calm finish sent Old Trafford into raptures shortly after the hour mark, and Patrick Dorgu added a close-range finish in the 76th minute to seal it. Premier League City, beleaguered by defensive setbacks and missing nine first-teamers, could only muster one shot on target. Manchester City FC Now winless in four Premier League matches, City were in danger of being cut adrift in the title race. Premier League
For United fans, it was the kind of performance that had been missing for a long, long time.
January 25 — Arsenal 2-3 Manchester United (Premier League)
If the derby was the feel-good moment, the trip to the Emirates was the statement.
Matheus Cunha scored an 87th-minute wondergoal as Manchester United stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal in a dramatic 3-2 victory at Emirates Stadium. Al Jazeera
A Lisandro Martinez own goal put Arsenal ahead just shy of the half-hour mark, but Bryan Mbeumo punished Martin Zubimendi's error to equalize before halftime. Premier League Patrick Dorgu then gave United the lead after the interval with a brilliant strike, before Mikel Merino's late leveler looked to have rescued a point for Arsenal. Al Jazeera But then Cunha happened. The Brazilian curled home superbly from distance less than three minutes later to complete one of the more memorable away wins United had produced in years. Premier League
It was United's first comeback victory at Arsenal in the Premier League since February 2005, and it moved them above Chelsea and Liverpool into fourth place, with Arsenal's lead at the top now just four points. Premier League
Among his eight Premier League goals this season, Mbeumo could now count strikes against Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal — three of the biggest clubs in the country. Premier League The guy has been an absolute revelation.
The Bigger Picture
Two wins and a cup exit — but those two wins came against Manchester City and Arsenal, which tells you something about what this squad is capable of when things click. Carrick switched the system, brought energy back to Old Trafford, and immediately got a reaction from players who looked like they'd been playing through mud for months.
The FA Cup exit is a shame, and it effectively narrows United's season down to the league. But if January is any indication of what Carrick can do with this group, the second half of the 2025-26 season just got a lot more interesting.