All things considered, it has been a sensational 2026 for Manchester United. After a dismal first half of the campaign, which saw them lose to League Two side Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup, Rúben Amorim was sacked as manager with the club sixth in the Premier League table.
Darren Fletcher took charge on an interim basis, overseeing a draw at Burnley and a loss to Brighton in the FA Cup, before ceding his position to Michael Carrick.
United would quickly flip the script under Carrick, snapping a four-game winless streak and winning six of their next seven before eventually succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle. They would bounce back with a win vs. Aston Villa before drawing at Bournemouth and losing to Leeds United, but since then, United have gotten back to their best.
After taking care of business with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, the Red Devils would beat Brentford 2-1 before throwing away a two-goal lead against Liverpool, but they nevertheless prevailed with the three points against the defending champions courtesy of Kobbie Mainoo’s late winner.
Mainoo is just one of the many players who have gone from zero to hero under Carrick, with the Englishman earning praise from pundits like Troy Townsend and making the case that he should be an integral figure under Thomas Tuchel in the upcoming FIFA World Cup. It’s yet another reason why, despite securing a return to the UEFA Champions League with their victory against the reigning Premier League champions, United’s upcoming match against Sunderland is a must-win.
Whilst Sunderland have taken their foot off the gas after an impressive start, they have nevertheless delivered a superb return and sit 12th in their first Premier League season in nine years. United have won five of their last six meetings against the Black Cats, with their earlier matchup this season seeing them win 2-0 courtesy of goals from Benjamin Šeško and Mason Mount. Sunderland have already secured their top-flight status and have a puncher’s chance of sneaking into the final European spots, but as for United, they sit third in the table, seven points behind Manchester City (who have a game in hand) and 12 above Arsenal.
United sat six points above Liverpool and Aston Villa, 12 above Bournemouth coming into Saturday. They were also 13 above Brentford, and 14 above Brighton – who they will travel to on the final day.
The worst that United could finish is fifth, which would still guarantee a Champions League spot given English teams’ performance in European competition this season. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that United should let up in their fight to secure three points. Not only does a top-three finish guarantee better seeding in the Champions League, it also gives United a higher payout by £2 million vs. a fourth-place finish.
Had they beaten Sunderland, United would be able to secure five straight wins and put an end to Frank Ilett’s long-awaited search for a haircut, but a 0-0 draw instead showcased the squad’s lack of depth in a minor injury wave. There is still more to play for, though.
Above all, though, the biggest reason for United to win is to protect Carrick’s future at the touchline. Whilst Carrick has done remarkably well to turn around the club’s fortunes, he also hasn’t quite managed to earn a permanent contract, with Julian Nagelsmann, Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola being mentioned as potential alternatives. If Carrick wants to come away with the full-time job, he needs to ensure that United finish the season strong and return to the podium of English football.
