He was 'everywhere': 48-touch Man United star rolls back the years vs Man City
Twenty-four hours may have passed, but the mood around Manchester United remains euphoric after their superb Premier League victory over Manchester City.
Bryan Mbeumo ignited Old Trafford by lifting the roof with a sublime left-footed strike to break the deadlock.
City never truly found their rhythm, and moments later their passive defending was ruthlessly punished by Patrick Dorgu.
While it was a collective triumph for the Red Devils, one player quietly emerged as the unsung hero.
Casemiro laid the platform for everything United did well.
The Brazilian expertly recycled possession, shielding the back line and allowing Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez to thrive.
Casemiro had 48 touches of the ball and played 10 passes into the final third.
The official X handle of United posted a video of the Brazilian being “everywhere” on the pitch.
When Rico Lewis burst into the box and looked set to pick out Bernardo Silva with a dangerous low cross, Casemiro read the danger instantly.
Silva was perfectly placed to pull the trigger, but Casemiro’s perfectly timed interception snuffed out the threat.
Michael Carrick deployed Dorgu and Amad Diallo in wider positions to stretch City’s defence.
Time and again, he pierced the lines with clever passes to release the wingers into space.
He doubled up tirelessly with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw to nullify dangerous wide men like Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo.
Even when Erling Haaland briefly appeared to overpower him in the second half, Casemiro responded with a trademark sliding tackle to kill the danger.
The veteran midfielder nearly capped his night with a goal of his own, but his attempted chip lacked the precision to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma.
At 33, Casemiro may still have occasional off moments, but performances like this underline how much better United function with him in the side.
His commanding display was deservedly acknowledged by a thunderous Old Trafford ovation when he was withdrawn in the 81st minute.
Stats from Sofascore.com
Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .