Michael Carrick remains unbeaten since taking charge of Manchester United, and his latest win came against Everton. His side avenged their defeat to the Toffees at Old Trafford in November at Hill Dickinson Stadium last night.
Benjamin Sesko continues to put Carrick on notice by stepping up. The Slovenian again started on the bench but came on in the second half and scored the winner in a 1-0 victory.
The win means United returned to fourth in the Premier League table, just three points behind third-placed Aston Villa. The race is on for Champions League football with 11 games left of the campaign.
Carragher on Man United’s top four hopes
United displaced Chelsea in fourth after the Blues drew 1-1 with Burnley on Saturday. The Reds are three points above the Blues, and Liverpool, who sit sixth after beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 on Sunday.
Jamie Carragher watched Carrick’s men win their fifth of six games since he replaced Ruben Amorim in January. The former Liverpool defender reckons a return to the Champions League awaits the Red Devils.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he predicted a successful end to the season:
“I think Manchester United are virtually a guarantee in that position. I can’t see Manchester United not making it.”
United’s only focus is on qualifying for the Champions League in the remainder of the season. The Reds crashed out of the FA Cup in the third round and haven’t played in Europe since.
That isn’t the case for Unai Emery’s Villa, who are still in the Europa League and the FA Cup. The Villans drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Saturday.
Liverpool and Chelsea will also be busy in Europe’s elite club competition, having advanced to the knockout rounds.
Carragher factored this into his top four prediction:
“Aston Villa look like they’re dropping points at the moment and they’ve still got European football on Thursday nights. Liverpool and Chelsea have both got Champions League and they’ve got the FA Cup as well. They’ll want to do well in at least one of those competitions — at least semi-final or final.”
United are the Premier League’s in-form team at the moment, unbeaten in their last 10 games. The win against Everton wasn’t the most impressive, but it showed determination.
Predicting Manchester United’s next six games
United have an interesting upcoming fixture list, which will go a long way in determining their chances of a top-four finish. They host a struggling Crystal Palace side at Old Trafford on Sunday (March 1st).
That should be an easy win for the Reds, given the tension brewing between Oliver Glasner and his club’s fans. They have won just two of their last 16 games across competitions, needing a late Evan Guessand winner against 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.
A trip to St James’ Park could be a difficult night for Carrick’s troops on Wednesday (March 4th). A draw might just be how that game pans out, given Newcastle United are without their captain, Bruno Guimaraes.
United could even be pushing for third by the time their encounter with Aston Villa comes about on March 15th. The Reds can make a statement with a win over Emery’s men, who have come off the boil in recent weeks.
An away win over Bournemouth (March 20th) and at home to Leeds (April 11th) should follow if Carrick’s side are at the races. They then travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in what could be a decider in the top-four race on April 18th, and a point shared seems a likely outcome.
