MANCHESTER – It's four Premier League wins in a row for Manchester United under Michael Carrick and a season that was unraveling just weeks ago now looks full of promise.
United won 2-0 against Tottenham on Saturday to extend Carrick’s 100% start as head coach and boost hopes of a return to the Champions League after missing out for the last two years.
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Arsenal powered nine points clear at the top, with Viktor Gyokeres coming off the bench to score two goals in a 3-0 win against Sunderland.
Second-place Manchester City plays Liverpool on Sunday while Aston Villa, in third, slipped further adrift after a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
Cole Palmer scored a first-half hat trick in Chelsea’s 3-1 win at last-place Wolves.
Is Carrick the leading contender for Man United job?
Victory for United will further strengthen Carrick's case to be given the job on a long-term basis.
“Michael has won everything here and he knows what it means for these fans, what it means for the club to win and how much is needed to win at this football club. I think that adds something special to the team,” United captain Bruno Fernandes told TNT Sports.
Bryan Mbeumo and Fernandes scored in each half at Old Trafford after Spurs went down to 10 men when captain Cristian Romero was sent off in the 29th minute.
It is the first time in two years that United has won four straight Premier League games.
Carrick has transformed United's fortunes since he was parachuted in to replace the fired Ruben Amorim last month. Initially given a contract until the end of the season — having previously had a three-game interim spell in 2021 — his impressive impact will likely put him in serious contention to keep the job as the club's hierarchy consider its long-term plans.
“I think Michael came in with the right ideas of giving the players the responsibility,” said Fernandes. "He's very good with the words.
“I think he still remembers what I told him the last time he was our manager for our last game. I was sure that Michael could be a great manager, and he’s just showing it.”
Fernandes’ goal, with a controlled finish off his shin in the 81st, was his 200th goal involvement since joining United in 2020.
United is fourth and after moving up to 44 points, the 20-time English champion has already exceeded last season's total of 42 points for the entire campaign.
It has been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions, but Champions League qualification would represent a successful season.
Arsenal powers further clear
Arsenal’s title charge looks in good shape after sweeping aside Sunderland.
Gyokeres took his season’s tally to 13 goals and extended his streak to six in eight games. Even more impressive was the fact that his double arrived after coming on as a 60th-minute substitute at the Emirates.
His run comes after overcoming a difficult start since his move from Sporting Lisbon last summer, when questions were raised about his ability to repeat the outstanding scoring form he showed in the Portuguese league. He managed only three goals in his first 11 games.
“He’s very demanding of himself, he’s constantly trying to improve and that’s really, really good,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “When you feel confident, when you feel important, when you feel at your best, that’s when you can really take your game to the highest level.”
Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring in the first half for his sixth goal of the season.
Arsenal's title pursuit has been helped in recent weeks by its title rivals slipping up. On Saturday, a bookmaker said it was paying out on Arteta's team being crowned champion for the first time since 2004.
Arteta said the size of Arsenal's lead meant “nothing, we still have to win so many games to achieve what we want."
City has won one of its last six league games and faces the daunting task of a trip to Anfield on Sunday. Villa, meanwhile, dropped points for the second time in as many games.
Despite going ahead through Morgan Rogers at the Vitality Stadium, Villa was held to a draw after Brazilian Rayan’s equalizer after the break.
Chelsea is fifth after cruising to victory at Wolves. Palmer's hat trick included two penalties.
The England international is the first player to score three first-half hat tricks in the Premier League.
West Ham on the move
Three wins in four have given West Ham hope of avoiding the drop.
Crysencio Summerville and Valentin Castellanos scored first-half goals to secure a 2-0 win at fellow relegation fighter Burnley.
Nottingham Forest's loss to Leeds on Friday means West Ham is just three points behind its nearest rival in the battle for survival, and just six back from Tottenham.
Newcastle has lost its last three in the league, and won just one in eight in all competitions, after a 3-2 defeat to Brentford at St James' Park.
Dango Ouattara scored the winner in the 85th, six minutes after Bruno Guimaraes' penalty had leveled it at 2-2.
Everton came back from a goal down to win 2-1 at Fulham.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer