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Michael Carrick made the bold decision to halt Manchester United's training session ahead of their win over Arsenal. The caretaker boss has enjoyed a flawless beginning to his tenure, following up the impressive 2-0 derby victory against Manchester City with a remarkable 3-2 success over the league's frontrunners. United have been revitalised under Carrick's stewardship as interim manager through to the season's conclusion, securing their two finest performances of the campaign.

Carrick maintained faith in the identical starting line-up that defeated City for the journey to north London, and was handsomely rewarded with another commanding display. Strikes from Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha ensured they became the inaugural visitors to claim victory at the Emirates Stadium this term. United have climbed to fourth position and there's a palpable sense of optimism surrounding the squad for the first occasion in quite some time. That enthusiasm was evident before the Arsenal encounter, according to Wayne Rooney, who had spoken with his former colleague Carrick just 24 hours earlier.

Rooney revealed on Match of the Day: "I actually saw him on Saturday morning and he said to me he actually had to stop training because it was that good.

"He wanted to bottle it up and make sure they had that performance for the game the following day, which obviously we've seen with it. He's done superb and I'm absolutely delighted for him."

Carrick has stepped into Ruben Amorim's shoes, ditching the 3-4-2-1 formation for a more traditional 4-2-3-1 set-up. The change has paid off instantly, thrusting Carrick into contention for the permanent managerial role at the end of the season. Rooney further praised Carrick, stating: "He brings a level of calmness, which hasn't been there for quite a while now.

He continued: "When you look at Michael Carrick you think he's a quiet lad, [but] he's studied the game, he understands the game and he's gone into that job knowing it's a difficult one to do and he's brought the basics back to Manchester United - players working hard, getting behind the ball, running for each other, working for each other and they're more confident.

Rooney also lauded Carrick's communication skills, saying: "He's an unbelievable communicator. I think for the best managers you need to do is make sure every player is happy and wants to play for you. The last two weeks have really shown that - Cunha has come off the bench twice and made an impact with the assist for Mason Mount and the goal against Arsenal.

"He's given belief into those players. Sometimes with young coaches, and I think with Ruben Amorim when he was there, they're guilty of overcomplicating things, giving the players too much information. I think Michael has gone in and reminded them of the basics."

When questioned about his long-term suitability for the role, Rooney responded: "Of course he can. Michael Carrick has got an opportunity to show everyone that he's capable of that job. Of course he has to have a consistency about his results and performances, but what we've seen is that he's more than capable of doing it.

"And if it carries on then there will be a massive pressure on Manchester United board to put him in at the end of the season. I know they've been there before with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], but I think this feels different."