Michael Carrick is of the belief that Manchester United's victory over crosstown rivals Manchester City on Sunday was hugely significant.

The Red Devils edged City 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium to move within a point of their fourth-placed neighbours, keeping United's Champions League hopes alive.

A loss could have drawn the curtain on United's season which leads Carrick to believe that now the team must back up their hard-fought derby victory in order to salvage something from a subpar campaign.

"To get a result was great because it was a must-win for the league and if we had lost then it would have been a disaster in terms of going into the international break and coming back after that a long way off [fourth]," said Carrick.

"All in all it was a great day and hopefully this can turn things around for us. It's a massive boost but it's only a big boost and worth it if we carry it on when we get back.

"We need to go on a good run now, everyone is the same. It's at that stage of the season where everything seems to count for a lot more - every point, every win."

United next take on Everton at Old Trafford on April 3 when the Premier League returns from the international break.