Michael Carrick has set his sights on ending Manchester United’s trophy drought, starting with the Carabao Cup, as the club looks to regain its winning momentum. United, who last secured silverware by winning the FA Cup in 2024, have struggled in domestic cup competitions, having been eliminated at the first round of both cups last season. Their recent matches have been marked by a lack of goals and inconsistent form, including defeats to Grimsby and Brighton—the latter their opponent in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round.
Reflecting on the team’s recent struggles, Carrick acknowledged the challenges but emphasized the importance of success and the emotional connection it brings to supporters. “What I’m at this club for is to try and win,” Carrick said. “It’s not straightforward, of course not. But it’s important. Trophies and achieving things and giving supporters that feeling of the emotion of that is important, definitely.”
Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League was a blow, intensified by controversy in the closing moments. Manchester City’s winning goal, scored by Erling Haaland, came after a VAR failure to identify an offside on Enzo Fernandez in the buildup. Howard Webb, head of referees, publicly expressed disappointment over the oversight. The match also featured a pivotal moment when Phil Foden received a red card for a challenge on Bruno Fernandes, leading to criticism of Carrick’s management. However, the manager highlighted the team’s resilience, noting that in previous instances they have recovered from such setbacks. “We’ve won a lot of games and we need to continue to do that,” Carrick said.
Manchester United's Premier League performance remains under pressure, with only four points from four matches, the sole victory being a 5-2 win over newly promoted Ipswich. Carrick acknowledged the slow start but stressed the focus on building winning habits. “It’s more about winning games, getting that feeling, getting the habit,” he explained, adding that the players have shown mental strength despite the setbacks.
Looking ahead, Manchester United expect the debut of new signing Carlos Baleba, who joined for £70 million from Brighton. The Cameroonian midfielder has been sidelined with an ankle injury sustained during pre-season but is scheduled to feature for the first time against Tottenham Hotspur on October 10, following the international break.
Brighton, meanwhile, arrive at Old Trafford with their own adjustments. Manager Fabian Hurzeler made changes to his starting lineup ahead of the Carabao Cup tie, with goalkeeper Jason Steele replacing Bart Verbruggen as part of squad rotation to manage player fitness during a congested schedule. Despite the recent controversial VAR decision in their Premier League match against Manchester City, Hurzeler expressed continued support for the video assistant referee system. “I always said that VAR makes football more fair,” he remarked. “There are moments, like at the weekend, where it’s not ideal and things like this shouldn’t happen. … It’s definitely part of it. It’s also proven that it makes the game more fair, that there are less wrong decisions.”
As Manchester United and Brighton prepare to face each other in the Carabao Cup third round, both teams aim to use the competition as a platform to spur their seasons forward amid a mixed start in the Premier League.