Manchester United

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United set up a repeat of last season's PL2 play-off semi-final with Manchester City by winning at Crystal Palace last night.

Central defender Dan Armer and striker Chido Obi scored the goals that sent Adam Lawrence's side through to the last four.

It means United must play City away from home twice in two key youth fixtures in a matter of days.

The two clubs are also due to meet in the FA Youth Cup final. The deadline for the match is 9 May, although that will not be met as talks continue over an actual date and whether the game will be played at the Etihad Stadium as scheduled.

United finished second in PL2 but only the winners, Chelsea, were guaranteed home draws throughout the tournament.

However, as the Blues were knocked out themselves by Tottenham on Friday, it is anticipated the winners of their semi-final with Brighton will host the final.

Last season, City beat United in the semi-final and went on to lift the trophy after overcoming Southampton.

It was noteworthy previous PL2 regulars James Scanlon and Gabriele Biancheri, whose unsatisfactory loan spells at Swindon and Rotherham have now ended, were both involved against Palace after being named as substitutes.

Manchester United are interested in 21-year-old Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who is expected to leave West Ham if they are relegated from the Premier League. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

United are also keen to sell midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who has made just one league start since Michael Carrick was appointed as interim manager in January. (Sun, external)

Meanwhile the Red Devils are ready to spend in the region of £150m to sign three central midfielders this summer. (Mail, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

The Devils' Advocate presenter Gaz Drinkwater is joined by Nick McCabe from Real Reds Talk after Man Utd's victory over Liverpool.

They discuss Champions League football and Kobbie Mainoo's dream week.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Manchester United content on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Matheus Cunha has made the impact Manchester United hoped when they paid Wolves £62.5m last summer, when he was a priority target.

With such a huge personality, it was unlikely joining a club of that size would be too much for the 26-year-old.

His goal against Liverpool was his ninth of the season, including some key ones for Michael Carrick, specifically the winners at Arsenal and Chelsea.

It has given Cunha time to show off his familiar surfing celebration, which reached a new level against Liverpool, when he raced away, pursued by team-mates, dived on the ground and then got up to 'surf'.

"I've improved my celebration a little bit," he said.

"Every time, my friends in Brazil every time say, 'you cannot only surf, you have to paddle and stand up on the surfboard'. I said 'OK, I'll try to improve'.

"It's part of my life; to bring this into football and show everyone how happy I am to play football and surf. I have to do it."

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Legendary former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has hailed the progress of fellow countryman and Manchester United goalkeeper Radek Vitek and urged the youngster to ensure he carries on playing next season.

Vitek, 22, had an outstanding campaign on loan at Bristol City, scooping the player of the year, young player of the year and players' player of the year prizes.

Now he needs to find out United's plans for him.

Just before joining Bristol City, Vitek signed a new contract at Old Trafford committing him to the club until 2028.

That was before Senne Lammens came in from Royal Antwerp to make the number one spot his own.

Vitek has already made it clear he has no interest in sitting on the bench anywhere after two and a half seasons of playing regularly and the Czech Republic's best ever goalkeeper feels that is key to his progress.

"It's important to play," Cech told BBC Sport. "Of course, there are situations when sometimes you know that you have a big chance to come back and fight for your position. That's a different thing.

"But as it stands at United, Lammens has done really well. I'm sure he [Vitek] will want to go somewhere and continue playing.

"It's great to see him progress because playing for the under-21s with United is one thing, but then he played men's football in Austria, which went really well for him, then he came back to England with Bristol City and did well there.

"That obviously gives him an opportunity to attract even attention from teams in the Premier League.

"I met him a couple of years ago, when we had a training session and talked about things. I could see he's got the hunger and the willingness to get better."

Read more on United loanee Vitek

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Manchester United and Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Man Utd fans

Carl: Sometimes you cannot fathom why players do the things they do and the mistakes they make. What is always pleasing is when they react positively and make amends. Well done to the management team and a special mention to Kobbie Mainoo and his team-mates. What was a poor season has become a good one with Champions League qualification.

Neil: In the past few games, why has Lammens fallen into playing out from the back? It was one of his strengths when he came in that he kept it simple with long balls, unlike the calamity Onana. Another lucky escape after Brentford. I'm sorry, but Michael Carrick is living on borrowed time. Julian Nagelsmann is my choice.

Mark: That 20-minute period early in the second half just shows how close the performance of the current United and the United from last season are. It's a thin line between success and failure for us at the moment, and we're just falling on the right side. We need cool, calm heads in the midfielders we bring in.

Simon: Great man-of-the-match performance from Kobbie, particularly in the first half, breaking up Liverpool's play with interceptions and tackles based on great positioning. The goal was his reward. Mainoo is nailed on for England.

Liverpool fans

Wiz: Regardless of injuries, we are papering over cracks all the time with Arne Slot. Boring, slow, predictable and passionless. It clearly doesn't work in the Premier League. He won it last year with the last of Klopp's team and has now dismantled it totally. There is no identity at all. Slot has still got to go, or it'll be another 30 years before another trophy.

Kieran: Liverpool's problems this season are many in all areas of the field. Their biggest problem is the correct recruitment. No alternatives to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. No cover for Conor Bradley at right-back. Florian Wirtz has been a major disappointment, and he is not suited to the physicality of the Premier League. Missing out on Marc Guehi was the club's biggest mistake. Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong should not have been bought. Sporting director Richard Hughes is the real problem!

Mez: Very poor overall. They were gifted two goals early in the second half, but they never looked like winning it. Slow play, no identity, no bite up front, all over the place defensively and, more importantly, no midfield. Even if Slot keeps his job beyond this summer, I think he will be sacked within weeks of the new season.

Dax: If it wasn't for United's mistakes we could have been hammered. It's not that Slot doesn't have a clue, it's that the team just aren't playing with any kind of passion... except for Rio Ngumoha and Dominik Szoboszlai. The counter-attack is non-existent or too slow, the passing lacks any kind of purpose and nobody seems to want to close down opponents. All too frequently, we are allowing opponents to form an attack safe in the knowledge that we'll give them the space to do it. We need to show teams the kind of pressing we were so good at and be ready for the break. I don't think Slot is at fault here. It's the players.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Michael Carrick is not the type of guy to say "give me the job" but he went slightly further on Sunday than he has done before in highlighting his credentials to be named head coach of Manchester United on a full-time basis.

To recap, Carrick has won 10 matches out of 14 since being asked to take charge until the end of the season in January.

United have amassed more points than any other team in that time. They have beaten the other five 'Super League' clubs and also Aston Villa, who are set to qualify for the Champions League.

He simply could not have done any more.

"It's been a good run," he said. "We've beaten some very good teams and it's been challenging.

"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.

"I'm not being blase because it's a difficult role, but it feels like I've been here a long time. I can understand what it brings and to be sitting in this position is a good position to be in."

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Judging whether the ball has touched a player's hand can be one of the trickiest roles of the video assistant referee.

It involves using split-screen angles because depth perception can give the incorrect suggestion the ball has touched the hand or arm on just one camera.

The decision comes down to a VAR assessing the weight of evidence, and asking themselves if they can be sure the ball did touch the hand.

In these situations, who is in the VAR chair can make a difference. Because, while handball before a goal is considered a factual decision, whether you think the ball touched the fingers in a case like this is very much subjective.

Slow motion can help, but there should not be an over-reliance on zooming in. Broadcasters have higher frame rate options with an ultra zoom, which Sky showed a few minutes after play had restarted.

In this case, VAR Stuart Attwell felt he did not have the definitive evidence to overturn the goal. He may have believed it was likely, but he could not be absolutely sure.

Match referee Darren England explained this to the two captains before play got under way again.

If you are a Liverpool fan, you will absolutely feel that there was proof, of course.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

"You want to follow him. You want to fight for him. You want to die for him on the pitch."

Kobbie Mainoo's assessment of manager Michael Carrick on Sky Sports after Manchester United took a 3-2 win over Liverpool resonated.

It resonated because when Mainoo scored his 77th-minute winner at Old Trafford, the stadium announcer made a point of hailing the homegrown, local-born 21-year-old, who signed a new long-term contract on Thursday.

Mainoo has become the poster boy for the club, which is amazing considering he had a request to join Napoli on loan turned down last summer, he did not start a league game for the first five months of this season and he was preparing for tough discussions over his future before Ruben Amorim got the boot.

Image source, Daily Express and Daily Star

Bringing Mainoo back into the fold - and getting him to play at a high level - is just one of Carrick's completed tasks since being asked to guide his old club through to the end of the season.

He has also restored captain Bruno Fernandes to his favourite position and overseen wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Chelsea and now Liverpool.

In addition, the 44-year-old has taken the club back into the Champions League after a two-year absence.

We do not know how he will react to playing games every three or four days, rather than once a week and sometimes not even that, although he did OK at Middlesbrough.

We do not know how he will react to a losing sequence because it hasn't happened yet. United have won 10 our of 14 matches under Carrick, with no team accumulating more points during that period.

That is the reality. That is what the hierarchy will be discarding if they choose to replace Carrick in three games' time.

Read the full article here

Micah Richards
Former Manchester City defender on Match of the Day

When you watch Kobbie Mainoo play, you can really see the difference Michael Carrick has made - in terms of the previous manager not believing in him to then the new manager coming in and giving him so much confidence.

You can see that self-belief in his performances.

It is one thing people saying that Mainoo should play and him coming in and backing that up, because there was big pressure on him coming back into the team.

All of the Manchester United fans wanted him back in the team, but when you are picked you still have to perform - and he has done that.

Mainoo signed a new club contract this week and he was back in the England squad in March, so it feels like he has hit form at the right time with the World Cup being this summer.

The next step for him now is to just be more consistent because when he first came into the team, I thought he was going to be a really special player.

For a while, though, I wasn't sure what type of player he was going to be. For example, is he more of a six or a number eight?

If he can nail down that number six role and actually be that defensive midfielder, and then drive forward at the right time like he did for his goal, then that's where his future is as a really top player.

Pundits Micah Richards and Alan Shearer join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Bournemouth 3-0 Crystal Palace

• Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick talking to Sky Sports post-match about whether he's proud of their performance: "Yes, in some ways the work that has been done, the way the players have played, we can take a lot from it. Qualifying for the Champions League felt off in the distance at one point. It's not something we celebrate really, we just want to finish high up in the league."

On why the team were so good today: "Good players and good staff definitely help. The connection we have as a group, overcoming change and difficult challenges. We're just trying to do the right things and players have taken everything on so well, we want to finish the season strong."

On being a threatening side: "We scored a lot of goals, we have scored in the past five games. Our focus has been out of possession work. We try to put our strength in the game, we started the game well. I'm just as pleased with the way we finished the game. Two setbacks could have knocked us but the players were quality, and we came out on top."

Refocusing after conceding: "We go back to belief, which is tested in those moments. Players want to work hard for each other. The tactics is one side and mentality is another. It gets you through difficult times."

On still improving: "In our league it is encouraging to see how we've done so well, we want to keep improving, and we can't underestimate what the players have done."

On what's next: "It's not about what I like or not like, it's not in my control, everything has gone so well. We know the situation, and we still want to get better and see what happens next."

On Benjamin Sesko's injury: "He's been carrying a shin problem for some time, he got pushed and caught the bit that's been causing him some problems."

Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, speaking to BBC Sport: "Never an easy game against Liverpool, glad to come out with a win. Liverpool are a good side, we didn't come out as sharp as we should have [in the second half], but we came away with a win."

On his goal: "It's nice to be back among the goals, I haven't scored for a while."

On securing Champions League football: "It was a huge goal for us to get the Champions League, but the season isn't over yet, we're not letting our foot off the gas."

On signing a new contract: "It's a blessing, happy to commit my future to the club I've been at all my life."

Did you know?

• Under Michael Carrick (including in 2021), Manchester United have won eight of their nine Premier League home games (L1). Carrick is only the sixth manager – and first English manager – to win 8+ of his first nine home games in the competition, and first since Antonio Conte in 2016-17 (also 8/9).

• Since Ruben Amorim departed as Manchester United manager in January, no player has more Premier League goals than Benjamin Sesko (9 goals).

Hear more from Michael Carrick and Kobbie Mainoo on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There could be no more fitting scorer of such an important goal.

Manchester United officials are adamant there was no chance of Kobbie Mainoo being allowed to leave on loan in the summer window, as he wanted to amid keen interest from Napoli.

But some very serious conversations would have been had towards the end of the winter window if Ruben Amorim had not been sacked.

It will forever be the scar on Amorim's time at the club that he could not find a place for Mainoo in his starting line-up in the league this season.

He did not need to prove it was a bad call but Mainoo's goal - the precision strike, the celebration that followed, United as a club milking the adulation surrounding an academy graduate - showed the error up for what it was.

Not that it was all plain sailing.

If there was any need for United fans to understand this current team is still not at the level required to compete for major honours, the first 15 minutes of the second half provided it.

The party atmosphere that swept around Old Trafford at half-time as the gleeful home supporters celebrated what they felt was certain to be a comprehensive victory over their rivals was replaced by the equivalent of a slap round the face with a wet dishcloth.

Michael Carrick could only watch in disbelief as his previously sure-footed team collapsed.

Half-time substitute Amad Diallo had only been on the field for two minutes when he played a square pass just inside the Liverpool half to Dominik Szoboszlai, who was then allowed to run 50 yards with no challenge.

Senne Lammens has been so solid since his summer arrival from Royal Antwerp but the Belgian got his passing angles wrong for the visitors' second.

It gives Carrick something tangible to work on this week.

The United fans weren't bothered about that though. They just sang Carrick's name as he left the field.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Manchester United's performance

What did you make of Liverpool's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Matheus Cunha returns to the Manchester United side as Michael Carrick makes one change from the victory over Brentford.

Amad drops to the bench, with teenager Shea Lacey missing out altogether as another youngster Ayden Heaven starts alongside Harry Maguire, with Lisandro Martinez completing his three-match suspension.

Manchester United XI: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Cunha, Sesko.

Substitutes: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Mount, Zirkzee, Malacia, Dorgu, Yoro, Amad, Ugarte.

There's no Alexander Isak for Liverpool. He's out with a minor groin issue but is expected to play again before the end of the season.

Freddie Woodman starts in goal again and it's a pretty young bench that features 18-year-old centre-back Mor Talla Ndiaye for the first time.

Liverpool XI: Woodman, Jones; Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Frimpong, Gakpo, Wirtz.

Substitutes: Pecsi, Gomez, Kerkez, Chiesa, Nyoni, Morrison, Ngumoha, Ndiaye, Wright.

There are three games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Manchester United v Liverpool (15:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Aston Villa v Tottenham (19:00)

Kick-off times BST

Follow Bournemouth v Crystal Palace here

Go here for live text and radio commentary of Man Utd v Liverpool

And stay across Villa v Spurs here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Crystal Palace" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man Utd v Liverpool".

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has defended Amad Diallo and insists the winger is playing well, even though he has not registered a goal or an assist in 2026.

The Ivory Coast international was one of the players who benefited from Ruben Amorim's time at Old Trafford.

Used as either a wing-back or in one of the number 10 roles, Amad scored 11 goals and claimed 10 assists last season, with 18 of his contributions coming after the former Sporting boss' arrival in November 2024.

Amad scored once and created three more goals in the opening 10 games of this season, but since scoring in Manchester United's 4-4 thriller with Bournemouth, immediately before he left for the Africa Cup of Nations, the 23-year-old has drawn a complete blank.

He was substituted off at half-time against Brentford, as Carrick tried to find a way to stop the left-sided raids of Bees full-back Keane Lewis-Potter.

But, before that, he had wasted a glorious chance after being teed up by team-mate Kobbie Mainoo, who charged into the box with a brilliant run that took him past three Brentford defenders.

Nevertheless, Carrick is adamant the treatment was not a reflection of Amad's form.

"I actually think he is playing well," he explained. "There is an awful lot more in the game, playing in a winning team like he has, to worry about numbers.

"He gives the team so much. He has got so much talent. His work ethic and attitude is fantastic. He has played different roles at times. I'm a big fan.

"It was unfortunate we had to change things tactically the other night, because that was purely why he came off.

"But he has given this team an awful lot. It is about the underbelly of what goes into a performance and not always what the headline grabs."

Apart from the future of both managers, it doesn't feel like many people are talking much about either club here, which feels odd before such a grudge match between two old rivals.

It's impossible to predict how this one will turn out. Manchester United were lucky to edge past Brentford on Monday, while Liverpool got a good win over Crystal Palace to take a bit of heat off Arne Slot.

Bruno Fernandes has had an outstanding season for United and Liverpool will need to stop the Portuguese Pied Piper from leading them a merry dance.

It looks like no Mohamed Salah for Liverpool, after he went off injured against the Eagles, but Alexander Isak scoring in that game felt big for him and Liverpool, after such a stop-start campaign.

It could be that an individual - either Bruno or Isak - steps up again to win the game for their team but I am going for an entertaining draw.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here