Gary Neville sends warning to Manchester City after United’s Carabao Cup win

Gary Neville has warned Manchester City that ‘dangerous’ Manchester United will be coming for them in the near-future after their Carabao Cup final win.

United were not expected to challenge for the Premier League title this season after a poor start to the campaign. Back-to-back losses to Brighton and Brentford had the fans fearing for another poor campaign. But with new manager Erik Ten Hag looking to make a statement in England, the team is almost unrecognizable now.

The team has bounced back with victories against top six rivals Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and a draw against Chelsea to stake a claim for a top four finish. And even have a shot at the title.

That’s quite a turnaround and shows just how much the team has grown in the last several months under the Dutchman.

United beat Newcastle 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday to win their first trophy since the Europa League in 2017, courtesy of a header from Casemiro and an own-goal from Sven Botman.

It is the first piece of silverware of the Erik ten Hag era with the club looking completely transformed since the Dutch manager’s arrival last summer.

The Red Devils remain in contention to win a ‘quadruple’ of trophies in Ten Hag’s debut season, with the club still in the FA Cup and Europa League, while they are currently eight points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.

‘At the end of last season, some of those players were part of a team labelled a disgrace by me and other Man Utd fans,’ club legend Neville told Sky Sports.

‘It was horrible to watch. They were divided. The turnaround is transformational. It’s unbelievable what Erik ten Hag has done.

‘From 2003 and 2006, we didn’t win a trophy and you feel like you’re never going to win a league again, or you’re not going to be up there again. This trophy was the catalyst for feeling confident and putting belief into the squad.

‘This squad will be dangerous with a medal around their neck because you like to think Erik ten Hag is going to improve them again in the next 12 to 18 months.

‘They’re not close to Arsenal or Man City, that’s clear, but where they are and what they’re doing is something I never would have imagined six months ago.’

Should Manchester City Worry about Manchester United?

The Red Devils and their fans are dreaming again and for a good reason. Given the club’s experience in winning trophies over the years, a title challenge is very much a possibility. The team has suffered just three defeats in their last 22 league games as it gets stronger and stronger. So anything is possible heading into the final stretch of the season.

The challenge is not just to catch Arsenal at the top of the table but to also prevent Manchester United from catching up from behind. That makes the task at hand even more daunting. But it is one the team should be equal to.

Manchester United are definitely a threat to City’s title hopes this season. But that is to the extent City allow them to be. At the moment, the Blues have their destiny firmly in their own hands.