Manchester United welcome old rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford this weekend for a fixture that could officially seal their return to the Champions League for next season. A win against the Merseyside club will mean Michael Carrick has guided his team into the top five of the Premier League with three games to spare and leave them favourites for an impressive third-place finish. Despite neither club fighting for the title this year, the grand old fixture remains arguably the biggest in the English top flight, with the two sides sharing a whopping 40 league crowns between them. Additionally, the game takes on huge significance for both managers, who are fighting to hang on to their respective positions for next season. Arne Slot has endured a tough campaign after an eye-watering spend last summer, with Carrick’s proposed interim spell at Old Trafford looking too good to ignore and likely to turn permanent. Therefore, winning the tactical battle will be of huge importance to both men in the dugout, and here are a few things that could tip the odds in United’s favour. Counter Attack United have been blistering on the counter-attack since Carrick’s arrival. His three huge victories against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea have been conjured from playing on the break, and this will be the plan once more. His favoured 4-3-2-1 formation will be at play, which allows the front men to sit on the shoulder of the Liverpool defence, ready to pounce on transitions. Arne Slot does like his side to play with the ball, but they have lacked that cutting edge throughout the campaign, which could play perfectly into United’s hands on Sunday. United’s ability to spring out quickly with the pace of Mbeumo and Sesko being fed from the outstanding Bruno Fernandes and clever Matheus Cunha should lead to Carrick’s men creating chances aplenty on the day. Slot’s team do have obvious threats, but the intensity just hasn’t been there this year, and United will look to take advantage of that with a fast start and constant pressure throughout the 90 minutes. Midfield Battle It’s been a long time since United went into this game in better fettle than their old rivals, but given the form of Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, the home side will really fancy their chance of winning the battle in the middle of the park. Mainoo is the calm to Casemiro’s storm, and the pair have forged a fine relationship in recent weeks to protect the back line and start attacking plays. It’s the Brazilian’s penultimate game at Old Trafford, and his infectious energy and desire that has spread through the side since the turn of the calendar year will be the catalyst to overpowering Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz in dangerous areas. Using the ball well in central areas will be key, and United will have no shame in moving the ball quickly through the lines to their attacking stars rather than the death by a thousand passes that Slot’s team will favour. Hit them where they are weak When United win the ball back in and around their own box, the quality and experience of the players in the midfield areas will serve the electric front line and hit Liverpool where they are weakest – at full-back. The visitors do have injuries to some key attacking players, so Jeremie Frimpong is likely to start in a front three that will leave Curtis Jones filling in at right-back, with the outgoing Andy Robertson on the other side. United must take advantage of this and feed the wide players as quickly as possible. Mbeumo will run all day, and despite his goals drying up in recent weeks, he will allow for first-time passes in behind the Liverpool back line that lacks pace. Sesko will do likewise, and with the dangerous support acts of Fernandes and Cunha, will give United fluidity and options when bearing down on goal. Carrick will also have options off the bench, whether it’s Cunha or Amad that starts the game, the other will be ready and waiting on the sidelines. Both have the ability to affect games in a split second and will be desperate to leave their mark on the historic fixture. Set Pieces It’s become impossible to discuss United’s best route to goal without mentioning set pieces. Bruno Fernandes is on his way to beating the all-time Premier League assist record, and this has been in no small part due to the influence of dead ball situations. Harry Maguire and Casemiro linked beautifully for the opener against Brentford and are a constant menace from any dead ball sent into the opposition box. United’s win at Anfield – that has set them up for their first league double in over a decade – came from the head of Maguire, and it would not be a surprise to see another set piece masterclass at the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday. Carrick’s crowning glory The blueprint was set in the magnificent win against City in January, where Carrick’s men looked threatening, comfortable, and every inch the side deserving of a top three finish. Should United produce the same performance against the biggest rival of all this weekend, they will surely end the season in third place, which looked a million miles away when he took the job in January. Against Liverpool, it’s always more than just three points, but Sunday represents a wonderful chance for Carrick to end his audition in style and leave INEOS with little choice but to hand him the reins on a permanent basis with a ticket back to Europe’s top table secured. Featured image Naomi Baker via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Conner Botterill Conner Botterill has been with The Peoples Person for three years. A lifelong red with degrees in Sport and Journalism and Philosophy and Psychology through the Open University. His favourite match attended was the unforgettable night in Paris in 2019 under the guidance of one of his idols, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Conner still believes he has a chance of making United’s first team through his 5-a-side career.