Carrick: No let up from United

Michael Carrick has vowed that Manchester United will not take any of their remaining Premier League fixtures lightly.

The defending champions are two points behind leaders and local rivals Manchester City going into this weekend’s games.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s team have managed to stay in touch at the top of the table after a difficult run of games which saw them salvage a point from three goals down against Chelsea, while also recording important victories against Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.

United’s next game is against West Brom at Old Trafford, and while it may not seem as tough as their recent encounters, Carrick knows that anything other than a committed performance can cost vital points.

“Just because we have come through a tough two months doesn’t mean we will sail through the next two nicely,” Carrick told Sky Sports.

“We are not getting carried away and we are not taking anything for granted. We know how quickly it can come back and bite us.”

The 30-year-old midfielder has experienced a title challenge in every season spent at Old Trafford, but says the local rivalry this year adds something extra.

“Since I have been here, we have always been up against someone, whether that is two teams or three,” he said.

“With it being City and so local, it does develop into something different. At the same time it is about winning games and focusing on ourselves.”