United and Carrick on the verge of securing Top 4 with Brentford clash next

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 18: Senne Lammens, Diogo Dalot, Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United celebrate victory at full time following the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on April 18, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) | Getty Images It’s so close, they can almost taste it. Despite a cataclysmic start to the campaign under Rúben Amorim, Manchester United have managed to get their act together under Michael Carrick and string together an impressive run of form.

Whilst they haven’t yet managed the five-game winning streak needed to put an end to Frank Ilett’s self-imposed haircut boycott, they have put themselves in the driver’s seat for UEFA Champions League football, having missed out on the competition in each of the last two seasons. It hasn’t always been pretty, but United’s consistently positive form has prompted the likes of Sebastian Salazar to tip Carrick for the permanent position. If Carrick can mastermind a top-three finish, they may have no other choice but to give him the full-time job.

United sit third in the Premier League table, 12 points behind Manchester City and Arsenal, level on 48 points with Aston Villa, and three points above defending champions Liverpool. Moreover, they sit eight points clear of Brighton, nine above Bournemouth, and 10 above Chelsea and Brentford, all of which have played one additional game, with the exception of Brentford. With England guaranteed at least one extra Champions League spot, United find themselves in a promising position with just five games remaining.

After defeating Chelsea and securing their first away victory in two months, the Red Devils will host Brentford and Liverpool before traveling to Sunderland, followed by a visit from Nottingham Forest and a trip to Brighton. Whilst Liverpool might be their toughest out on paper, history shows that Brentford will pose the most difficult task. Brentford and United met on six occasions between 1937 and 1947, with the Bees winning the first two before losing three in a row, followed by a stalemate.