Carrick Responds to City’s ‘Kings of Manchester’ Taunt

Elliot Anderson walked into Manchester this summer and lit the fuse himself.

A £116 million signing from Nottingham Forest, unveiled at the Etihad as the new face of City’s midfield, he wasted no time poking the red half of town. On club channels, the 21-year-old declared that City are the “Kings of Manchester” – a line the champions gleefully amplified, even capitalising the word ‘king’ on their official site.

It stung. Of course it did. But across the city, Michael Carrick refused to bite.

“I’m definitely not using that phrase, at all, no,” the Manchester United manager said with a smirk when asked about Anderson’s barb. No rant. No counter-punch. Just a firm rejection of the narrative.

City’s era, United’s reminder

Strip away the noise and the numbers tell their own story.

United have not finished above City in the Premier League since the 2012-13 season, the final chapter of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign. In the years since, City have stockpiled trophies: seven league titles, a Champions League, and a stack of domestic cups that have turned the blue half of Manchester into a modern superpower.

United’s haul in that same period looks modest by comparison. That is the reality Carrick is walking into, and he knows it.

“We are humble enough and realistic enough to know where we have come from in recent history,” he admitted. No excuses, no denial. Just an acceptance that City have set the standard.

Yet the derby itself has not turned into a procession.

Across the last 20 league meetings, United have still landed blows: seven wins, three draws, and enough awkward afternoons for City to prevent this rivalry becoming a one-club exhibition. Even in an era painted sky blue, United have found moments to remind everyone of their weight.

Carrick has one of those moments on his own CV – a 2-0 victory over Pep Guardiola’s City during his permanent tenure. It was the kind of result that can define a manager’s early days. He refuses to let it.

Maresca backs Anderson’s ‘kings’ claim

On the blue side, there is no apology for the swagger.

Enzo Maresca, the man tasked with following Guardiola, moved quickly to defend Anderson’s “Kings of Manchester” claim. For him, the comment made perfect sense.

“Probably the reason why Elliot said that is because he grew up in the last 15 years,” Maresca said. “I think Manchester City were unbelievable in what they achieved. So it was normal when Elliot said that... For me the reason Elliot said that is because when he grew up Manchester City was dominant.”

That’s the generational shift laid bare. For an entire new wave of players, City are not the noisy neighbours. They are the benchmark.

Anderson’s first derby, then, arrives with a ready-made storyline: the record signing, raised in City’s golden age, walking into Old Trafford – or welcoming United to the Etihad – believing his club rules the city.

Carrick’s bigger picture

Carrick, though, is playing a longer game.

He has dragged United back into the Champions League, a step he sees as the start of a climb, not the end of a journey.

“It is good, in a way, that expectation has shifted,” he said. “All of a sudden, there are different things asked of us to maybe what was asked of us a few months ago. We are in the Champions League - that in itself shows the steps we have made.”

The message is clear: qualifying for Europe’s elite is no longer a dream to be celebrated for weeks. It is a base camp.

“Now, it is about the next stage,” Carrick continued. “We need to, and want to be better, and we want to be challenging more. That’s where we're at. It doesn't mean that we can't and we won't. It means we still hope, we believe, and we expect that we can be and we should be, but I understand the bigger picture.”

The bigger picture is City’s decade of dominance. The immediate picture is a Premier League table that shows United five points behind Maresca’s side heading into Sunday’s derby.

A chance to hit back

That gap gives the fixture edge. So does the timing.

United have a “golden opportunity”, as it has been framed around the club, to slice into City’s lead, dent their rivals’ momentum and send a message that they belong in the title conversation rather than just the top-four debate.

Carrick knows what he is up against. He watched City’s midweek European outing and came away impressed.

“I thought they were very professional against Porto the other night,” he said. “They are a very good team. We know we have to put in a good performance and do a lot of things right to get a result.”

No false bravado. Just respect – and quiet conviction.

“I think we have built up confidence over a period of time,” he added. “I feel like we are getting better all the time and that helps us. It is a big game, it is an important game, there is a lot riding on it. We are looking forward to it. We have got a short space of time to recover and prepare for it, but we will make the most of it.”

So the stage is set.

City arrive as the self-proclaimed kings, their new £116m midfielder already speaking like royalty. United walk in as the challengers, their manager refusing to use the word but fully aware of what a win would mean.

Derbies do not hand out crowns. But this one might tell Manchester who is closer to taking it back.