Carrick sets Emirates target

Michael Carrick is warning that the Reds’ excellent Old Trafford showing in the Champions League semi-final first leg will count for little if United produce an equally impressive display at the Emirates Stadium next Tuesday.

John O’Shea gave the Reds a slender 1-0 lead at the halfway stage of the last four tie. It could, and almost certainly should, have been more.

“We played well, especially in the first half when we created a number if chances,” Carrick told MUTV. “It would have been nice for one or two more to have gone in, but we’ve won the game and we’ve kept a clean sheet so we can be pretty happy with that. It gives us something going into the second leg.

“It’s easy to say that [all we have to is play like that again in the second leg], but every game throws up different situations. I’m sure Arsenal will come out and be a real threat in the second leg. We’re confident that we can create enough chances to score again and hopefully that will make it even more difficult for them.”

Arsenal were strangely subdued and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitted that his side would have to be much more of a threat in North London, something Carrick says United will have to be aware of.

“They’ve got world class players and some real threats. Fortunately tonight we nullified them as best as we could and we’re very satisified to have kept a clean sheet.

“They had one or two opportunities when they could have threatened a bit more but overall we were quite happy with the way we defended as a team. That probably allowed us to attack a bit better as well. In the second half we could have played a touch better but we did enough in the first half to win the game.”