With 54-day winless run over, Michael Carrick now needs Man Utd's next 'momentum booster' – opinion

Michael Carrick has had his first real opportunity to breathe freely at Old Trafford after the end of one of Manchester United’s key woes this season.

Manchester United staged a dramatic comeback against Roma in the second half on Tuesday evening to return to winning ways for the first time since September.

Before United’s 3-2 victory over Roma, the Red Devils’ last win in any competition came in the Red Devils’ 4-0 demolition of Sabah in the Champions League.

Michael Carrick’s side had lost five times and picked up four draws in the 54-day period between Man Utd’s victory over Sabah and their win over Roma at Old Trafford.

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Man Utd broke down a psychological barrier by winning again, as Michael Carrick’s next hurdle is a second clean sheet this season

Manchester United’s performance against Sabah is more symbolic than being the last win before the Roma clash on Tuesday evening. September’s Champions League fixture at Old Trafford is the only time that the Red Devils have held down a clean sheet in the 2026-27 campaign under United manager Michael Carrick.

United have a 7.1 per cent clean sheet record from their 14 matches across all competitions in their woeful season. Man Utd have conceded 24 times in their 14 fixtures so far, which is 1.71 times on average per match in their campaign. The Roma encounter was important for breaking the emotional psychological barrier of finding another win in the 2026-27 season.

However, the Roma match made it clear that United’s defensive problems remain ever-present after the Red Devils conceded twice in the opening 20 minutes. With one clean sheet in their first 10 matches across all competitions this season, Carrick knows how important a clean sheet is for a further momentum booster.

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The Red Devils scored six times during their nine-match winless run, but Man Utd conceded 18 times against opposition teams in that period. United’s win over Roma does not mean that everything is fixed and the momentum is fully back in their favour now.

The victory on Tuesday is setting the foundation for a potential turnaround — and it started with simply getting all three Champions League points on the night. United’s first clean sheet at Old Trafford after the Sabah match would be more significant if it came against Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s men are a well-disciplined and well-oiled collective unit compared with the fragility of Carrick’s current side. United will host Aston Villa at Old Trafford and the Premier League clash will be a meaningful test for the Red Devils’ defence against the attacking output of Unai Emery’s side.

The Roma win has provided United with a much-needed injection of momentum on the winning front. But a clean sheet against Aston Villa would be a huge stepping stone for Carrick on a defensive front ahead of the November international break.