Manchester United are third in the Premier League table.
The important, match-related information to this piece will begin shortly but for now, dear reader, we ask that you read the opening line again. Manchester United, who in mid-January appeared to be experiencing another historically significant low, have climbed to third in the Premier League table at the start of March.
They have not been third at the end of a Premier League gameweek since May 2023.
A winter of discontent has given way to a spring of hope. Michael Carrick and his coaching staff have steered the side to six victories in seven matches. United have not suffered defeat for 11 league games. The only team in Europe’s traditional top five Leagues with a longer unbeaten domestic run is Inter Milan.
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Michael Carrick and his staff have inspired a fine turnaround at Old Trafford (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
United took time to find their stride against Crystal Palace, but eventually came through. Though this team occasionally make missteps, they avoid collapsing into tactical pitfalls these days.
“We showed that belief and personality,” said Carrick of the comeback win. His team were slow-moving in the game’s opening 30 minutes, and were rocked by an early goal from Maxence Lacroix. United — who packed the six-yard box with their strongest players ahead of the set piece — were undone by the aggression and quick movement of Lacroix from just outside it.
The Palace centre-back shook off Leny Yoro as the ball was delivered into the box before heading past Senne Lammens.
United’s response was again affected by a series of injuries that have hobbled a previously fluid attacking unit. The side has looked unbalanced on the left since Patrick Dorgu was waylaid with a hamstring injury in late January, and took a further hit partway through the first half on Sunday when Luke Shaw, who had already been suffering through illness, hobbled off the pitch following a collision with Daniel Munoz.
Factor in Lisandro Martinez’s absence due to a calf issue and Carrick has been deprived of some of his most important progressive passers. The decline in left-footed players in each starting lineup has fed into a trio of slow and unstructured first halves against West Ham, Everton and now Palace. Teams are now looking to congest central areas to slow down United’s fondness for quick one-twos and clever passing triangles.
Yet there is a tenacious quality to this crop of players; a seriousness when they go about important tasks. A reduction in footballing histrionics and a greater focus on playing to the whistle.
United players look more confident and can often be seen encouraging each other during matches. Bruno Fernandes continues to be a fizzy, unorthodox playmaker, but he has found a new level in recent weeks. The bold transfer decisions from summer 2025 are reaping dividends now. Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and Matheus Cunha have multiplied Fernandes’ creative value and narrowed down some of his more difficult obligations.
To borrow a famous quote from Billy Wilder, last season Fernandes was “a great sculptor hired to do a plumbing job”. In recent weeks, he has been crafting some of his best-ever chances.
Bruno Fernandes strokes home his penalty (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
Fernandes’ goal owed a debt to the hard work of Cunha, who was described as “very smart” by Oliver Glasner in how he fell in the penalty area following a challenge from Lacroix.
“For me, it is not a penalty,” said the Austrian. “Maybe he could have conceded the red card with a foul outside the box. It is (a) little bit of an Old Trafford bonus.”
VAR judged the foul to be worthy of a penalty and a red card to Lacroix. Palace, already fatigued from their Conference League outings on Thursday, wilted once reduced to 10 men. Fernandes would convert his penalty before delving deep into his bag of passing tricks to inflict maximum discomfort on wounded opponents.
He is a phenomenal wheel greaser to Carrick’s footballing machine; one that began to whir through the gears as the second half continued.
“You have got to find a way in games sometimes,” said the head coach about the improved performance in the second half. “We wanted to make more runs and be a little bit more aggressive with attacking their back line, which you always try to do. But I thought we did it better in the second half, and ended up getting the penalty from that.”
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Benjamin Sesko celebrates scoring the winner (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
The winner was exceptional.
Fernandes’ delightful inswinging cross from the right was met with a thumping header from Sesko. It is now four goals in six appearances for the striker since Carrick’s arrival. The 22-year-old began slowly on Sunday but grew in stature with every touch of the ball. When Sesko celebrated, he was crowded in hugs and compliments from team-mates.
Mbeumo clutched Sesko’s face before saying, “I told you.”
There is a belief among this group of players that was not present earlier in the season. They have trust in the gameplan and trust themselves to execute it properly. Things are not perfect, but the improvement is stark. United are now clever enough to use the second half of matches to avoid any snafus a slow first half put them in.
Manchester United are third in the Premier League table. This team has come a very long way in a rather short space of time.