Michael Carrick walks into the Emirates with the glow of a perfect start and the weight of history on his shoulders. Fresh from a statement 2-0 derby victory at Old Trafford, the interim Manchester United head coach now confronts the Premier League leaders on their own immaculate turf, where Arsenal have yet to lose this season.

For Carrick, this is less a free hit than a measuring stick. The former United midfielder has spoken of a squad eager to “keep proving” itself, sensing momentum after an assertive attacking display against Manchester City that hinted at a clearer identity and renewed belief.

United’s task is formidable. They have not won a league game away at Arsenal since 2017, and Mikel Arteta’s side are driving hard to end a 22-year wait for the title. Yet Carrick can draw on a personal precedent: in 2021, as caretaker, he oversaw a thrilling 3-2 win over Arteta’s Arsenal at Old Trafford. He is quick, however, to dismiss any notion that past success guarantees anything now, stressing that this is “a whole new challenge” with different squads and stakes.

Carrick’s respect for Arsenal is clear. He praises their balance, their collective ethic and the threat they pose from wide areas and set pieces. In his eyes, they are a “rounded team” built carefully by Arteta, with no single star carrying the load. That, he suggests, is precisely what makes them so difficult to disrupt.

Arteta, for his part, is braced for a different United under new leadership. He expects “intensity” and “new ideas” from Carrick’s side, having watched them dismantle City with ruthless counter-attacks. The Arsenal manager describes United as “lethal” when given space to run, warning that their transitions remain among the most dangerous in the league.

There is also a layer of mutual admiration. Arteta calls Carrick “one of my favourite No 6s,” recalling a midfielder who controlled games without seeming to break sweat. Yet the Spaniard has not forgotten that 3-2 defeat in 2021 and is determined to rewrite the narrative.

For Arsenal, this is about maintaining control at the summit. For United and Carrick, it is about validation: proving that the derby win was not a one-off, but the start of something more substantial.