Carrick's Baptism of Fire | Football Digest

The biggest game of the weekend isn't necessarily the one with the most at stake — but it might be the one with the most eyes on it. Michael Carrick takes his first training session on Wednesday, hosts a press conference on Friday afternoon, then walks out for the Manchester derby on Saturday lunchtime. No time to settle, no time to tinker. Just straight into the deep end against Pep Guardiola's City. Elsewhere, a continent waits as Morocco and Senegal meet in Rabat for Sunday's AFCON final — a showpiece 22 years in the making for the hosts.

📊 STAKES STAT

198 — Saturday's Manchester derby will be the 198th all-time meeting between the two clubs. City have won 21 of the 57 Premier League-era clashes — more victories at Old Trafford (9) than any other visiting side.

Source: Manchester City

Michael Carrick's first assignment could scarcely be tougher. Appointed on Tuesday, trained with the squad on Wednesday, and now faces a Manchester derby against a City side six points off top and desperate for three points. United sit seventh on 32 points — just one shy of the top five — but have won only one of their last seven matches in all competitions. Carrick has reunited with Steve Holland as his assistant and will deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation he favoured at Middlesbrough, leaning on the experience of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte. Bryan Mbeumo returns from AFCON duty to add firepower, but City's defensive crisis hasn't prevented them from scoring 45 league goals — the most in the division. Carrick's unbeaten three-game run as caretaker in 2021 feels like a lifetime ago, as reported by Sky Sports.

The stage is set in Rabat for Sunday's AFCON showpiece. Morocco edged Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw on Wednesday, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saving twice to send the hosts into their first final since 2004. Senegal's Sadio Mané won his latest instalment against Mohamed Salah with a 1-0 victory over Egypt, setting up a heavyweight final between the defending champions and the tournament hosts. Morocco haven't lifted the trophy since 1976, but Brahim Díaz (the tournament's leading scorer), Achraf Hakimi, and Bounou represent arguably their best generation in decades. For Senegal, it's a chance to cement their status as Africa's dominant force — three finals in four tournaments speaks to their remarkable consistency, as reported by CAF Online.

The league leaders head to Nottingham with a comfortable gap at the summit, but Mikel Arteta will be wary of complacency. Arsenal's last two Premier League defeats have both come on the road, and while Forest sit 17th, Sean Dyche's side have proven capable of digging in against top-six opposition. The Gunners will be without Piero Hincapié, Riccardo Calafiori, and Cristhian Mosquera through injury, testing their defensive depth once more. Viktor Gyökeres ended his goal drought with a strike in Wednesday's 3-2 Carabao Cup win at Chelsea, and Arteta will hope that performance ignites a run from his £100m striker. Forest have lost six home games already this season, but Chris Wood's injury absence removes their primary goal threat, as analysed by The Athletic.

Wednesday's 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge gives Arsenal the advantage in the Carabao Cup semi-final, but Alejandro Garnacho's brace off the bench means Chelsea have a lifeline for the second leg on February 3. Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres, and Martín Zubimendi scored for the Gunners, but Liam Rosenior will take heart from his side's late rally. It was the new Chelsea manager's first home game in charge — more drama awaits at the Emirates, as reported by Sky Sports.

Xabi Alonso's "mutual consent" departure from Real Madrid lasted just 233 days — one of the shortest managerial reigns in the club's modern history. The former Liverpool and Bayern Leverkusen boss clashed with senior players (including Vinícius Júnior), struggled to implement his high-pressing philosophy, and departed after Sunday's 3-2 Super Cup defeat to Barcelona. Álvaro Arbeloa, promoted from Castilla, now faces the task of stabilising Los Blancos, who sit four points off Barcelona in La Liga, as reported by ESPN.

Arsenal's six-point lead after 20 games mirrors previous title-winning positions — the Opta supercomputer gives them an 84.8% chance of lifting the trophy. City's trip across Manchester is crucial; anything less than three points would see the gap become almost insurmountable.

Gallagher's arrival at Tottenham provides immediate midfield reinforcement following Rodrigo Bentancur's three-month hamstring injury. The £34m fee represents a £4m loss for Atlético after just 17 months in Spain, but Thomas Frank gets a proven Premier League performer who could debut against West Ham this weekend.

Antoine Semenyo's impact at Manchester City has been immediate and emphatic — two goals in two games since his £64m January arrival from Bournemouth. What the Ghanaian winger provides is something City have lacked: raw, aggressive directness.

Guardiola's sides are renowned for their precision and patience, but Semenyo offers a different dimension. His willingness to run at defenders, combined with his physical presence and pace, creates chaos in ways that Foden, Silva, and Grealish don't naturally produce. Against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final, Semenyo's runs consistently pulled defenders out of shape, opening space for others.

Watch for City to use Semenyo on the left flank against United, where he can isolate Diogo Dalot — United's right-back has struggled one-on-one this season. If Guardiola deploys him alongside Haaland, with Foden and Cherki operating between the lines, City's attack looks significantly more varied than the possession-heavy approach that has sometimes stalled against deep defences. Semenyo's ability to finish — evident in his Premier League numbers at Bournemouth — makes him a genuine goal threat, not just a facilitator, as analysed by Sky Sports.

AFCON: Morocco and Senegal meet in Sunday's final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat. Kick-off 7pm GMT. Bounou's penalty heroics against Nigeria set up the hosts' first final in 22 years. BBC Sport

AFCON: Egypt and Nigeria contest the third-place playoff on Saturday in Casablanca. Salah's tournament ends in disappointment after Mané's Senegal prevailed 1-0. CAF Online

La Liga: Barcelona host Celta Vigo looking to extend their four-point lead over Real Madrid after their Supercopa triumph. Arbeloa's first La Liga game comes against Las Palmas. Marca

La Liga: Atlético Madrid face Real Betis without Gallagher following his £34m move to Tottenham. Simeone's side sit third, nine points off Barcelona. AS

Serie A: Napoli travel to Hellas Verona with an eight-point cushion at the summit. Conte's men have lost just twice all season. Gazzetta dello Sport

Serie A: Inter host Empoli ahead of Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Arsenal at San Siro. Inzaghi's side are 15 points off Napoli but looking to secure a top-four finish. Corriere dello Sport

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich return from the winter break eleven points clear, with Harry Kane on 20 league goals from 17 games. Hoffenheim visit the Allianz Arena on Saturday. Kicker

The Manchester derby always delivers drama — but this one feels different. A club legend returns to steady a ship in turmoil, while across town, a dynasty looks to close the gap on Arsenal. For neutrals, it doesn't get much better than Saturday lunchtime at Old Trafford. And if you want even more drama, an entire continent will be glued to Rabat on Sunday evening.

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