Michael Carrick was full of praise for his Manchester United side after they responded to their opening-weekend defeat at Hull with a commanding 5-2 victory over Ipswich, inspired by a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick.
Ipswich had taken a shock lead through Leif Davis before United turned the game on its head. Fernandes struck in the 40th minute to level matters, then added two more in the 61st and 68th minutes to complete his treble. A Jacob Greaves own goal midway through the second half and a late Bryan Mbeumo strike in the 82nd minute rounded out the scoring for the hosts, with Chuka Akpom netting a consolation for the visitors in stoppage time.
The result marked the first time United had scored five goals in a Premier League match since the opening day of the 2021-22 season, when they beat Leeds 5-1 in a game that also featured a Fernandes hat-trick.
Speaking after the match, Carrick highlighted the character his players showed in bouncing back from adversity, both from the defeat at Hull and from falling behind against Ipswich. "It's a week in football, isn't it? The ups and downs," he said. "The biggest pleasing thing was – we spoke about in the week, about dealing with setbacks if you want to be a successful team. Every team gets beat. You've got to deal with setbacks, whether that's momentum in the game, whether that's a goal, whether that's losing a game or a run of games, whatever it may be."
He added that the team's response after conceding first was particularly encouraging so early in the season. "Showing stubbornness, belief, confidence, and togetherness the boys showed at that stage... I think that was really pleasing for me. The way they bounced back, that's probably the biggest thing to take."
Carrick also spoke glowingly of his captain, who claimed both the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year awards this week before delivering his hat-trick. "He means a lot to us. He's the captain, he's been here for a good number of years now," Carrick said, praising Fernandes' experience and leadership.
Fernandes himself reflected on the significance of the win, acknowledging it did not erase the disappointment of the loss to Hull but represented a big response. "It was a massive result. We lost three points last week. First game at home, the fans have been waiting for this," he said. "Scoring goals is the best feeling in football. Doing a hat-trick at home with our fans is something I'm proud of."
Marcus Rashford, making his first Premier League start since December, also impressed as United fired 33 shots at goal — their highest total in a top-flight match since 2016. Carrick said he was pleased to see Rashford back among the goals and performances, adding he would only improve with more game time.
Kobbie Mainoo, handed his first start of the campaign, was singled out for special praise by his manager, who described him as