Carrick hails Casemiro and Fernandes after vital Man Utd win

TL;DR

Michael Carrick praised Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes after Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Brentford, which brought them closer to Champions League qualification. Casemiro scored the opening goal, while Fernandes provided a crucial assist, helping United secure their second consecutive win.

Key points

Michael Carrick is the interim boss of Manchester United
Casemiro scored the first goal in the 2-1 win over Brentford
Bruno Fernandes provided a key assist and is close to a Premier League record
United is currently in third place in the Premier League
They need two points from four games to qualify for the Champions League

Manchester UnitedBrentfordLiverpool

Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick (Darren Staples) (Darren Staples/AFP/AFP) Michael Carrick saluted Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes after Manchester United's midfield stars inspired the 2-1 win over Brentford that moved them closer to Champions League qualification. Casemiro headed United in front in the early stages at Old Trafford after Fernandes's corner was nodded on by Harry Maguire. Fernandes helped United double their lead just before half-time with a surging run and pin-point pass to Benjamin Sesko, who fired home in clinical style. Carrick's side survived Mathias Jensen's late strike to secure a second successive victory, cementing their grip on third place in the Premier League. Brazilian veteran Casemiro, who is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, now has four goals in his last six games, underlining his enduring value to United. Fernandes is even more important, the United captain making his 19th assist of the campaign to move within one of the single-season Premier League record currently held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Carrick knows the value of his midfield pair and the United interim boss said: "Casemiro has scored some big goals for us. Bruno and Casemiro have a good relationship. "We have scored nearly every game and Bruno is a big part of that. He could have maybe had one more assist and scored himself." When Carrick took over until the end of the season, United were languishing in sixth place, with a Champions League berth far from assured. But the former United midfielder has impressively steadied the ship following the turbulent reign of Ruben Amorim. United now need just two points from their last four games to seal their place in Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 2023-24. "It wasn't a given, at certain stages we weren't favourites. Now we are in a good position and want to finish as high in the league as we want to keep pushing for that," Carrick said. "I thought the spirit, effort and togetherness of the players was fantastic. It's the time of year when it's a result business and we needed to take points. "It's a tough finish in a tough league. To get the amount of wins we have, we are delighted with that. "Today was all about the three points for us. We have an important game coming up against and we can look forward to that." smg/jc

Q&A

How did Casemiro perform in the match against Brentford?

Casemiro scored the opening goal for Manchester United and has now netted four goals in his last six games.

What record is Bruno Fernandes close to breaking this season?

Bruno Fernandes is one assist away from tying the single-season Premier League record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

What does Manchester United need to secure Champions League qualification?

Manchester United needs just two points from their last four games to secure their place in the Champions League.

Carrick hails Casemiro and Fernandes after vital Man Utd win

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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