MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United is headed back to the Champions League.
A 3-2 win against Liverpool on Sunday confirmed United’s return to European club soccer’s top competition after a two-year absence.
Kobbie Mainoo settled a thrilling Premier League clash at Old Trafford with his first-time strike from the edge of the area after defending champion Liverpool had fought back from two goals down.
The victory saw head coach Michael Carrick achieve the target he was set in January when he was handed the job until the end of the season. Rescuing United’s season from freefall, he has led the club to third in the standings and produced statement wins against Arsenal, Manchester City and now Liverpool.
Victory will strengthen calls for Carrick to be given the role on a permanent basis.
“When Michael comes, he came with magic. Alex Ferguson vibes,” United forward Matheus Cunha said with reference to the club’s iconic former manager. “At the end of the day, this is just the start of the journey. It’s the beginning, a beautiful beginning.”
Ferguson had planned to watch the match at Old Trafford but left the stadium and went to the hospital as a precaution when feeling unwell before kick off.
The fact United secured a Champions League return against its fiercest rival Liverpool only added to the scenes of celebration after the final whistle. It was the first time United has completed a league double of home-and-away wins against the Merseyside club since the 2015-16 campaign.
United is six points ahead of fourth-placed Liverpool with three rounds of the season to go. It marks a significant improvement on last term when it was 42 points behind Arne Slot’s title-winning team.
‘A good run’
Since Carrick was hired on Jan. 13, United has picked up 32 points from 14 games – more than any other team in the top flight.
“It’s been a good run. We’ve beaten some very, very good teams and it’s been challenging,” he said. “I love doing what I’m doing. It’s a great position for me to be in and it feels pretty natural if I’m totally honest.”
United gave Carrick the job until the end of the season in order to allow the club time to weigh up coaching candidates after Ruben Amorim was fired in January. The 20-time English champion has not won the title since Ferguson retired in 2013 and has had six permanent managers or head coaches since then.
Carrick has repeatedly shied away from discussing his future beyond the end of the campaign.
His team is doing the talking for him on and off the field.
“You want to follow him, you want to fight for him, you want to die for him on the pitch,” Mainoo told Sky Sports.
United’s latest win came after a flying start – Cunha opening the scoring after six minutes with a left-footed strike from inside the box. Benjamin Sesko doubled the lead in the 14th when bundling in from close range.
United’s dominance should have produced more goals with Bruno Fernandes wasting a good chance to add a third.
But the game was turned on its head after the break as Dominik Szoboszlai pulled one back for Liverpool two minutes into the second half and then a mix-up in United’s defense allowed Cody Gakpo to equalize in the 56th.
United regained its composure and Mainoo’s strike saw Old Trafford erupt in celebration.
Defeat means Liverpool is still not guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season with three rounds to go.
“The reality at this point is that it’s been a very disappointing season, below the standards of Liverpool,” captain Virgil van Dijk said. “We shouldn’t accept it, but it is the reality. We have to get Champions League football for next year. After the World Cup we have to build to a much better – a much better – season than we’re having.”
Crucial win for Tottenham
Tottenham climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.
It’s back-to-back league wins for Spurs for the first time since the opening two games of the season. The latest victory saw Roberto Di Zerbi’s team move a point above relegation rival West Ham and out of the drop zone.
Conor Gallagher and Richarlison scored both of Spurs’ goals in the first half to continue De Zerbi’s positive impact on the club since he was hired in March. Substitute Emiliano Buendia pulled a goal back for Villa in stoppage time.
Having failed to win a league game in 2026 before De Zerbi’s arrival, Tottenham has picked up seven points from a possible nine.
Bournemouth’s Champions League bid
Bournemouth earlier strengthened its unlikely push for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace.
Bournemouth is sixth in the standings, with the top five guaranteed to qualify for the Champions League. That could be extended to the top six if Villa wins the Europa League and finishes fifth.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
