- Manchester United beat Chelsea 1-0
- Bruno Fernandes’ 18th assist
- United are favourites for the Champions League qualification
Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has said it would be “utterly ridiculous” if interim manager Michael Carrick does not receive the full-time job after their win tonight.
United have taken a major step towards UEFA Champions League football after beating rivals Chelsea, opening up a 10-point gap between the two sides.
United responded emphatically after producing one of their worst performances of the season in a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United.
Carrick’s side turned that around, however, as an injury-ravaged squad overcame a Chelsea team that has now lost four consecutive Premier League matches without scoring.
The last time that happened came in the 1997/98 season, when Chelsea also lost 1-0 to Manchester United during that run.
The Blues now risk missing out on European football entirely, with the London club slipping rapidly down the table.
Hargreaves: Carrick Proven He Can Do It
“He’s proven that he can do the job. Beaten Man City and Arsenal, the two best teams in the division. He’s shown he can set up a game plan on the counter,” Hargreaves said on TNT Sports following Manchester United’s victory.
“Carras understands the players and that’s probably why he’s there. He understands the pressure of playing for this football club. He put the boys in the right position where they need to play to succeed and they’re better in every capacity.
He added:
“So to not give it to him after giving it to him, probably when you wouldn’t have expected it, is utterly ridiculous. I think today solidifies it. If they hadn’t won today and not gone in the Champions League places then you can have the debate, maybe someone more experienced.
“After today and if he finishes third I can’t see how you couldn’t give it to him. It wouldn’t make any sense whatsoever.”
Following today’s victory, Carrick has now recorded eight wins from his first 12 games in his second spell at the club. The head coach has worked wonders, dragging United from seventh to third in the table.
United now sit three points above Aston Villa and six points ahead of Liverpool—both of whom have a game in hand—while holding a ten-point advantage over Chelsea.
With just five games remaining in the Premier League season, two more victories would guarantee United a return to Europe’s premier competition.
Bruno Fernandes Proved Himself Again
It is genuinely hard not to feel even slightly perplexed by Bruno Fernandes at this stage. His pass to Matheus Cunha carved open Chelsea tonight, and it proved decisive—the only effort from either side that nestled into the net.
It takes Fernandes to 18 Premier League assists for the season, placing him joint third in a single campaign—alongside Mesut Ozil, Frank Lampard, Cesc Fabregas, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mohamed Salah—just two shy of the 20 set by Thierry Henry and De Bruyne.
Under Michael Carrick, Fernandes has registered 10 assists and added three goals. That equates to 1.08 goal contributions per game under the Englishman.
With just five matches remaining, the window to equal—or even break—the record is narrow. United face Brentford next on Monday, 27 April, and Fernandes will hunt every opening, every final ball, with one aim—to etch his name into the history books.
