Surprising number of wins Man Utd need to secure Champions League qualification

Manchester United are back in action against Leeds United on Monday evening, as Michael Carrick looks to guide the club to Champions League football for 2026/27

Manchester United are now just three wins away from a return to the Champions League after Chelsea were defeated by Manchester City on Sunday. Michael Carrick's men haven't featured in over three weeks due to the international break and their early FA Cup elimination, but they return to action on Monday night with a home fixture against Leeds United.

The Red Devils, who have suffered just one defeat under Carrick, remain third in the table after Aston Villa squandered the opportunity to leapfrog them by drawing at Nottingham Forest. Perhaps more significantly, Chelsea were beaten by City at Stamford Bridge, leaving Liam Rosenior's side seven points adrift of United.

Chelsea sit sixth in the table, and it was confirmed this week that a top-five finish will guarantee Champions League football as a result of England's impressive performances in European competition this season.

This leaves United well placed to secure their return to the tournament, and they could wrap up qualification this month. Three wins from their next three matches will guarantee a top-five finish.

That's because United travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and should they overcome Chelsea, the Blues can reach a maximum of just 63 points. Should United overcome Leeds on Monday, triumph at Chelsea and then defeat Brentford at Old Trafford on April 27, they will reach 64 points and guarantee themselves a top-five finish.

Even if Chelsea claim victory in all six of their remaining fixtures, including against United, Carrick will secure Champions League football with four wins from their final seven matches. United's closing four fixtures see them welcome Liverpool and Nottingham Forest and travel to Sunderland and Brighton.

It's been a relatively straightforward season of concentrating on the Premier League for Manchester United. Ruben Amorim could only muster a 15th-place finish in the standings last season, omitting the Red Devils from European qualification - given they also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.

In terms of domestic cups, meanwhile, United also suffered early exits. The club were humbled by a League Two Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup on penalties after they were held to a 2-2 draw.

They were also knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Brighton in January, suffering a 2-1 loss to the Seagulls. However, Carrick has been a breath of fresh air since his arrival in January, following the sacking of Amorim.

The Englishman has suffered just one loss in his opening 10 games at the helm, including major upsets of Manchester City and Arsenal. However, with his contract only running until the end of the season, there's no guarantee that he will be the man to lead United in the Champions League should he secure qualification.

Gareth Southgate, Oliver Glasner and Luis Enrique have all been linked with permanent tenure at Old Trafford this summer, as had Thomas Tuchel before he extended his stay with the England national team.

But with Carrick thriving at the reins, as well as Enrique expected to renew his own terms with Paris Saint-Germain in the coming months, it appears as though Carrick could be handed permanent tenure should he continue to impress.