Anderlecht's late equaliser may have denied Manchester United victory in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final, but it was another game in which Michael Carrick showed his importance to Jose Mourinho's side.
Leander Dendoncker's 86th-minute leveller dampened the mood around Manchester United's Europa League quarter-final with Anderlecht. Jose Mourinho's side seemed to be on their way to victory after a professional performance in Belgium. But with one defensive lapse, the manager was left to answer more questions on their wasteful finishing.
Mourinho rued his attackers' failure to "kill" the match, but while it was not quite the outcome he wanted, he could have few complaints about one player's performance in particular. In a week where Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to Benjamin Button, it was Michael Carrick who defied his years at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.
Carrick, who will be 36 when next season gets underway, wore the captain's armband alongside Paul Pogba in United's central midfield. And in his own understated style, he produced the kind of faultless performance that led Mourinho to describe him as "phenomenal" earlier in the season.
His best moments came with a stunning 60-yard pass to release Marcus Rashford midway through the first half and a diagonal chip to pick out Ibrahimovic shortly afterwards. But as is so often the case with Carrick, it was the little things that mattered more.
Carrick controlled the game, completing 109 of his 114 passes at a 95.6 per cent success rate, including nine long-range passes out of nine. He provided the perfect platform for Pogba to probe further forwards, and his intelligent positioning ensured Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly were rarely exposed behind him.
Every United move seemed to start with the ball at his feet. And while he could only watch in frustration as his attacking team-mates failed to capitalise on their chances, time and again he provided the calming presence they needed. When the equaliser came, it was tougher on Carrick than anyone.
It has been this way throughout the campaign. In the 25 games he has started since Mourinho's appointment, United have only lost once. In the 27 games he has not started, they have lost six. Their win percentage drops from 64 per cent to 56 per cent when Carrick is not in the team. It's no coincidence and Mourinho knows it.
Man Utd with and without Michael Carrick starting
| 2016/17 | P | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| With Carrick | 25 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 64% |
| Without Carrick | 27 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 56% |
"When he is on the pitch he gives us important things," he said in October. "He gives us stability in our game, he gives mental freedom to the other guys around him to be more offensive. He's not just a player, he is somebody who has a big understanding of the game. It's a pity sometimes you can't stop the clock."
So while Ibrahimovic's future may be the bigger talking point, the prospect of replacing Carrick is just as concerning. The former England international reaches the end of his current contract at the end of the season. But while he may not be a long-term solution, his latest midfield masterclass showed there is life left in him yet.
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