Michael Carrick’s tactical change has given Bruno Fernandes room to operate in the right-side pocket behind the front line, and the results are clear. Carrick restored United’s skipper to the No. 10 role after a period in Ruben Amorim’s two-man midfield, and Fernandes says the move has altered his positioning. “I float a lot in that zone there now with Michael,” Fernandes reflected in an interview with Opta. “He doesn’t want me to just be stuck in the middle, so often asks me to find that pocket [of space].”

That positional freedom has put Fernandes on the cusp of two Premier League landmarks with four matches left in the season. He has 19 assists in 2025–26, level with Mesut Özil on the season charts and one behind the all-time single-season mark of 20 set by Thierry Henry and matched by Kevin De Bruyne in 2019–20. No player in the 34-year history of the Premier League has provided more than 20 assists in a single campaign, and Sunday’s derby with Liverpool presents a high-profile chance to close that gap.

Fernandes showed the shift in focus at Brentford, taking no shots as he concentrated on creating. Eventually, Benjamin Šeško finished one of the five chances Fernandes created, taking the skipper to 19 assists and a single assist behind the record.

If Matheus Cunha recovers from a slight hip issue, he is the likeliest direct beneficiary. As Opta note, Cunha has received 19 open-play chances from Fernandes this season—the most chances any player has been provided by a single teammate in the current Premier League campaign.

There is also a set-piece subplot. United’s No. 8 has set the former Real Madrid man up for six Premier League goals this season—another division high—five of which have come from set pieces. Fernandes sits on 10 set-piece assists, one shy of Steven Gerrard’s top-flight record of 11. The midfielder has worked on dead balls and admits the demands have changed: “I will tell you that five years ago, I would go to take a corner and just put the ball into the middle of the box and let’s see if someone gets it,” he revealed. “And nowadays I have to hit a spot, so sometimes it’s even harder to get an assist from a set piece than it actually is in open play.”

Liverpool arrive at Old Trafford with European qualification still to secure but well placed to finish in the top five.

After a difficult campaign, the Reds sit fourth in the table and are eight points clear of sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion. Only three teams remain above them in the standings, so a positive result at Manchester United on Sunday would be valuable on two fronts: it would be a statement in a fierce rivalry and could move Liverpool up to third.

Technically Liverpool can clinch Champions League qualification at Old Trafford, but that outcome depends on other results. To guarantee a top-five finish this weekend, Liverpool need victory in Manchester and require Brighton to drop points away at Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. They also need Bournemouth to fail to take maximum points at home against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Reds will know before kick-off whether a top-five finish can be confirmed, yet the club will be desperate for all three points regardless of permutations.

If Liverpool do not win at Old Trafford they are not without options. As the weekend begins they know they need a maximum of five points from their remaining fixtures to secure a top-five place. There are three more Premier League matches left after Manchester United.

Liverpool return to Anfield on May 10 to face Chelsea. The Blues are currently operating without a permanent manager but still possess the quality to trouble opponents. Liverpool suffered a 2–1 defeat in the reverse fixture this season, underlining that the meeting at Anfield will not be straightforward.

A trip to Villa Park follows, where Liverpool will meet Aston Villa. The Reds have failed to win either of their last two matches at Villa Park, making that fixture another potential hurdle in the run-in.

In short, a win at Old Trafford plus favourable results elsewhere would settle Liverpool’s Champions League hopes now. If not, they retain multiple paths to the same objective across the final matches of the campaign.

Liverpool face a summer of decisions over a changing core as Mohamed Salah prepares to leave and Andy Robertson follows. Virgil van Dijk’s immediate future appears secure, but Alisson Becker’s position is now the subject of growing uncertainty.

Age and availability are the primary factors. Robertson, the youngest of the quartet, has just turned 32. Alisson will be 34 toward the end of 2026. While that is not old for a goalkeeper, recent seasons have been disrupted by injuries. The Brazilian missed 10 Premier League matches in each of the previous two seasons and has not played more than 40 times in all competitions in a campaign since 2022–23. Two separate hamstring absences have kept him out in 2025–26 and he currently remains sidelined.

The Times report that Juventus interest continues to firm up and that Alisson is “receptive” to the idea of securing himself a longer contract in Serie A than he has at Liverpool. Italy has a connection in his career; he first made his name in Europe at Roma.

Liverpool’s hierarchy will be weighing succession, performance and the finances. The club invested in Giorgi Mamardashvili as part of succession planning, agreeing a deal worth $39.4 million (£29 million) if all add-ons are triggered following his emergence at Valencia and a fine Euro 2024. Mamardashvili has had limited opportunity to grow into the role. He has been cast as an understudy who has nevertheless been required to perform quickly and he has also suffered an injury, leaving Liverpool reliant on third-choice Freddie Woodman at times.

Last month the club triggered a 12-month option on Alisson’s contract, extending him until the end of 2026–27. That move preserves his status for another season, but it could also be interpreted as a step that preserves the possibility of a transfer fee. Liverpool have already mutually terminated Salah’s contract a year early to remove his wages from the books. Even a nominal fee for Alisson would bring funds back into the club and assist a reset of the goalkeeping department.