London (AFP) - Michael Carrick will lead Manchester United against Aston Villa on Sunday in the tenth round of the English Premier League, in what may be his last match at the helm of the coaching staff, amid his efforts to save his position, despite the moral victory his team achieved over Roma 3-2 in midweek.
Published on: 06/11/2026 - 08:21
The dramatic victory in the Champions League competition gave the English coach a temporary break, but he is still under great pressure before the international break.
In another Premier League match, Manchester City seeks to avoid a rare third consecutive loss in the competition, when it faces Nottingham Forest, in an attempt to stay close to leaders Arsenal.
Agence France-Presse highlights three of the most prominent headlines surrounding the tenth stage:
-Carrick's last chance?-
When the “Red Devils” players left the field and headed to the dressing rooms at half-time against Roma, on Tuesday, trailing 0-2 and seemingly unable to find solutions, it seemed that Carrick’s fate had been decided.
But his faltering team surprisingly succeeded in turning the tables, after Brazilian Matheus Cunha scored two late goals, leading United to an exciting 3-2 victory at Old Trafford, amid a noisy crowd atmosphere.
This victory ended a streak of nine matches without a win, the longest for the club since the 1988-1989 season.
Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot said that he hopes that the victory over the Italian capital club will constitute a new starting point for the team’s season.
He added: "Nights like this can change momentum, and even entire seasons, and I believe this win will give us confidence in the upcoming matches."
But the harsh reality is that United may find itself in last place in the Premier League when its match begins on Sunday, if the results of other teams are not in its favor.
Regardless of the outcome of the confrontation, the international break will give the club’s management an opportunity to evaluate its options regarding the long-term future of the technical staff.
Spaniard Unai Emery, coach of Aston Villa, had his name put forward as one of the potential candidates to take over the technical leadership at Old Trafford, but press reports indicated that he was close to signing a new contract with his club in Birmingham.
-Duo fight for the title?-
Manchester City realizes that keeping up with Arsenal, led by Spanish coach Mikel Arteta, may not reach a happy conclusion in the end, even if it maintains its form in the title race.
The Sky Club is still waiting to learn its fate, after it was found guilty of committing more than 100 violations of financial regulations in the English Premier League, with the possibility of imposing a harsh penalty on it, represented by deducting a large number of points.
Arsenal appears to be City's only serious competitor for the title, benefiting from its remarkable ability to achieve victories even when it is not performing at its best levels.
On paper, the two teams' task seems relatively easy this week, but City's trip to face Nottingham Forest may be more complicated than it seems.
According to the “Expected Points” table issued by Opta, which classifies Premier League teams based on their expected goals, Austrian coach Oliver Glasner’s team occupies third place, 16 places ahead of its position in the actual standings.
As for Arsenal, which hosts struggling Hull, it has won 18 of its last 19 league matches against teams newly promoted to the Premier League.
-Tottenham recovers -
The atmosphere of frustration and pessimism that hung over Tottenham has diminished, after the team achieved three consecutive victories in the league under the leadership of its Italian coach, Roberto De Zerbi.
About three weeks ago, Tottenham was at the bottom of the league without achieving any victory, but now it occupies a comfortable position in the middle of the standings.
Defender Archie Gray attributed this transformation to the collective spirit within the team, which is now only four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
Gray told the Spurs Play website: “We all have a very good relationship, and you can see that on the field. Even during celebrations, all the substitute players run towards their teammates who are scoring goals, and these are small details that mean a lot to us. This is the most important thing, and it is the reason behind the improvement of our level.”
On the other hand, Leeds United, led by its German coach Daniel Farke, did not achieve any victory in its last five matches in the Premier League, and only scored two goals during them, falling to twelfth place in the standings.
© 2026 AFP
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