Predicting Man Utd’s Remaining Fixtures – Can Carrick Provide a Top Four Finish?

Predicting Man Utd’s Remaining Fixtures – Can Carrick Provide a Top Four Finish?

One thing we can take from the Red Devils' strong league form is that Ruben Amorim was completely out of his depth. A hard-fought win against Everton on Monday evening puts Manchester United comfortably in the top four, and what a remarkable achievement this would be for interim manager Michael Carrick. Looking ahead, it's only right we preview United's remaining fixtures to decide if a return to the Champions League is imminent.

Old Trafford Delight

A major aspect of this United turnaround is their home form in the Premier League. Unbeaten in their last seven matches, including three consecutive wins against Manchester City, Fulham, and Tottenham. Little to no one expected the hosts to win the Manchester Derby, let alone their sheer dominance in doing so. The mentality of the squad has come leaps and bounds since Carrick took the helm, and we see this with Benjamin Sesko's stoppage-time winner against Fulham, having given up a two-goal lead late in the game. The 22-year-old has been a major addition for this United side, establishing a reputation for delivering late and important goals.

Him again. pic.twitter.com/oeGRfJ5J2O

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 23, 2026

Looking ahead, Manchester United host Crystal Palace in what looks like a favourable fixture for the home side. While the Eagles have claimed victory at Old Trafford on the last two occasions, they look a shadow of the side that had so much joy in the previous campaign. Having won just two of their last 12 Premier League matches, their defensive vulnerabilities and lack of creativity going forward should make it a tough afternoon in Manchester for Oliver Glasner's side.

United have some tasty home fixtures yet to come. The likes of Aston Villa, Leeds, and Liverpool will all pay a visit before the season closes. They have the possibility to do the double over Liverpool for the first time since the 2015/2016 season, having won 2-1 at Anfield in October. A fixture that could have a significant impact on both sides' seasons, currently having a three-point advantage over their league rivals in sixth.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa currently sit third in the Premier League, having defeated Manchester United 2-1 at Villa Park in December. They have had less success at Old Trafford in recent years, having suffered defeat in their last three league visits. United sit three points behind Villa and, on paper, look to have a more favourable run-in; the visitors are yet to travel to the Etihad and Molineux for the West Midlands Derby. The home side can take advantage of their favourable record in this fixture, a result that could see some separation between them and the chasing pack behind.

The history of Manchester United and Leeds needs no introduction. Like many others, Leeds do not have a favourable record at Old Trafford, failing to win a league game here since 1981. Needless to say, their memorable FA Cup victory in 2010 will be remembered as if it were yesterday for most Leeds fans. History may have its say again, as Manchester United have dominated this fixture over the years, including commanding league victories in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 Premier League campaigns. We can only see this one going one way – a win for the red corner and another step closer to those Champions League aspirations.

🚨🛑 Manchester United under Michael Carrick: 5 wins, 1 draw, 12 goals scored, 6 conceded, 3 clean sheets in 6 games. pic.twitter.com/V1G6ZuY6zC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 23, 2026

On Their Travels

Of course, it will be far from plain sailing for Manchester United between now and the end of the season. They make the trip to St James' Park in just over a week to face Newcastle United, a side that looks inspired judging by recent performances. Newcastle defeated their opposition 4-1 the last time the two met here and have won three consecutive matches against Manchester United on home soil. While this United side looks much more capable of putting up a fight, the established reputation of Newcastle being so strong at home means that expectations may be adjusted coming into this fixture.

Carrick may well focus on coming away with something from the game, adopting a cautious approach that could play right into Newcastle's hands and energise their vocal home support. It's more than likely that United will drop points between now and the end of the season, and this is one place where we could certainly see them doing so.

Down the line, away fixtures against both Bournemouth and Chelsea pose a substantial threat to United's top four hopes. The Cherries have prided themselves on performances at the Vitality Stadium this season, including victories over Liverpool and Tottenham in recent weeks. They were unfortunate not to take anything away from the home fixture against Arsenal, despite going ahead early in the match. Andoni Iraola has done a superb job since taking charge at the club, and leading his side to victory against Manchester United will be yet another milestone. The two have played out entertaining draws on the last two occasions here, before playing out a 4-4 draw in December.

However, United will be aware that matches of this nature often define seasons. Dropping points here can disrupt, particularly when there are such fine margins between finishing inside and outside of the Champions League places. While the United side possesses the quality to cause Bournemouth problems, I could see this fixture putting a spanner in the works for Carrick's men.

Chelsea, too, presents a different but equally complex challenge. A side full of world-class personnel, and things can quickly get scary for visiting sides if things start to click for the hosts. Manchester United defeated Chelsea in the reverse fixture in September, one that will be remembered more for the poor discipline on show rather than footballing matters. That said, Chelsea has a strong recent record against United at Stamford Bridge, remaining unbeaten in the last five meetings between the two sides.

While the result could be anything, subject to what versions we see of both Chelsea and United, this is just another test that could very much prove costly for the Red Devils.

Chelsea: we’re back in top 4

Manchester United: 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/LIH5HiCXhc

— POEUTD (@poeutd) February 24, 2026

Overall, it is difficult to be critical of United based on their recent going. The mentality of the side looks worlds apart from what it did under Amorim and five wins in their last six Premier League matches make them well worthy of a top four spot. Whether that will stay this way for the remainder of the season is yet to be decided, but we think that the United hype is real.