Give the job to Michael Carrick? Manchester United have been here before, of course, surfing a wave of good results and good vibes to appoint another former player, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as their manager.

It was a decision they came to regret with heart ruling head and having been swept up in popular opinion, with Gary Neville even dizzily joking there should be a statue for his former team-mate following the Champions League win away to Paris St-Germain in 2019 that helped push through the appointment.

But, already, this feels like it has the potential to be more substantial. Possibly much more and while the sense is that Carrick has not been in the running, that may soon have to be revised.

And why not? Beating Arsenal – and blowing the Premier League title race wide open again – and Manchester City in his first two games in charge, is a hugely impressive start.

Carrick has had an immediate and powerful impact and that should not be underestimated at a club where it can feel like trying to turn around a super-tanker.

In fact this is already some body of work to build on – although, of course, we need far more evidence to substantiate Carrick’s credentials and that continues with the next game, at home to Fulham.

United got themselves up for big matches under Carrick’s predecessor, Ruben Amorim – such as winning away to City – but they rarely played like this. Not with this belief; this freedom and this desire to win and try and score. They are transformed.

It may be a bounce, a release of pressure, but the performances appear liberating. Goodness knows what Amorim was thinking with his treatment of Kobbie Mainoo while a simple shift away from a back-three has stabilised the defence with Bruno Fernandes comfortable in his more natural role as a No 10.

There has been so much scrutiny of United’s recruitment but this was a good day for Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha – the three goal-scorers – and goalkeeper Senne Lammens who made a superb stop from Martín Zubimendi when it was 0-0.

In a way Carrick just looks the part with Steve Holland such a shrewd addition as his assistant, constantly moving forward to offer advice in the technical area.