Manchester United now turn their attention to their next clash in the Premier League against overachievers Brentford next Monday.
The Reds are looking to move one step closer to confirming their status in the Champions League next season. A valuable three points at Stamford Bridge on the weekend aided their progress.
Brentford will likely provide a tougher test, however. Keith Andrews’ side have been excellent this term and are fighting for European places as well.
A victory against Manchester United could see the Bees leapfrog Chelsea into sixth place. Many punters were predicting Brentford to get relegated at the start of the season after losing Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, as well as their manager, Thomas Frank.
United have struggled against Brentford in several outings since they were promoted to the Premier League in 2021. Earlier this season, the Reds lost 3-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Zirkzee could start vs Brentford
Michael Carrick’s number one priority since taking charge at United has been securing results, and he has done that better than any other manager in the Premier League.
However, there have been some concerns about the performance levels dropping. The displays against Manchester City and Arsenal at the beginning of his stint were incredible.
Part of the problem appears to be that some attacking players are not in form. While Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha look sharp, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad have been struggling.
Benjamin Sesko has also struggled to replicate his form when starting games. He was initially shining when coming off the bench for Carrick’s side.
Due to this, Carrick could look at starting Joshua Zirkzee against Brentford. It would be the first time the Dutchman was in the lineup since scoring against Wolves at the end of December.
Zirkzee has come off the bench several times since then and some fans believe he deserves a chance in the team while others are not in firing form.
Would next season be a step up for Carrick?
United are currently 10 points above Chelsea and Brentford. Victory in their next two games will secure their Champions League status for next term.
When the season started, there were no expectations that United would return to Europe’s elite competition and it felt unlikely after Ruben Amorim was sacked too.
Carrick has done an excellent job to get the club into this position, and he will be hoping that it is enough for him to be offered the job permanently.
It remains to be seen whether the club legend will remain in charge next term but it would certainly be interesting to see how he deals with the extra challenges the full-time role brings.