Manchester United sit 13th in the Premier League after taking just four points from their opening four fixtures, prompting scrutiny of manager Michael Carrick's start to the permanent role. While Sunday's 1-0 home defeat by Manchester City carries some mitigation – United played three days after a Champions League win over Sabah, giving City extra rest, and benefited from a wrongly-awarded goal by Erling Haaland that the officiating body Pro Ref later admitted should not have stood – other results suggest deeper problems, with a 2-0 loss at Hull and a 2-2 draw at Everton among the concerns.

United's results so far read: a defeat at Hull, a 5-2 win over Ipswich, a draw at Everton and the City loss, and they face Brighton in the Carabao Cup before travelling to Fulham. Carrick, who impressed as interim coach last season in guiding United to third, has struggled since taking the job permanently, echoing the trajectory of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who also thrived temporarily before results worsened. Notably, United mustered less than 1.0 expected goals at home against City despite playing against ten men for most of the match, a statistic described as more concerning than the VAR error, while Carrick's contract running only to 2028 hints at the club's cautious backing of him.