Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool moves Michael Carrick’s side onto 64 points and secures Champions League football for next season, with a top-five finish now guaranteed and a 12-point gap to sixth-placed Bournemouth maintained with three league matches remaining.
Kobbie Mainoo, who recently agreed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford, scored the decisive goal against Liverpool, as Manchester United tightened control of fifth place and confirmed a return to UEFA’s leading club competition under head coach Michael Carrick.
Carrick, operating on a short-term contract yet viewed as leading candidate for the permanent role, reflects on the situation with calm authority after transforming Manchester United’s season and guiding the club
back towards Champions League nights at Old Trafford.
"I love doing what I'm doing, and it's a great position for me to be in, said Carrick. It feels pretty natural if I'm totally honest. I'm not being blase because it's a difficult role, but it feels that I've been here a long time. I kind of understand what it brings, and to be sat in this position is a good position.
European games have a beauty all of their own.Sir Matt Busby pic.twitter.com/fMtRZYPzr0Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 3, 2026
Since Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January, no Premier League side has gathered more points than Manchester United, with 32 collected in that spell, highlighting the scale of the team’s improvement during the push towards Champions League qualification.
Carrick’s impact at Old Trafford extends to home form, with Manchester United winning eight of nine Premier League home fixtures under Carrick across both spells, making Carrick the sixth manager, and first English manager, to win at least eight of the first nine home league matches.
The last manager to match that specific Premier League home record was Antonio Conte during the 2016-17 season, when Conte also won eight of the opening nine home games, placing Carrick’s start with Manchester United among strong early records in the competition.
Carrick admits Champions League qualification did not appear very likely on arrival, yet the current situation brings a measured sense of achievement, with progress clear though still framed as part of a longer process for Manchester United’s developing squad.
"When we came in, I think Champions League, to be honest, was a little bit in the distance, he added. To be where we are with three games to go, there's a lot of satisfaction that comes with that, but that can't be everything.
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