Manchester United are set to finish the 2025/26 season with the best “Big Six” record in a stunning resurgence led by Michael Carrick.
Bringing in the former United midfielder as interim manager has proven to be a shrewd move, with the club hierarchy now seriously considering retaining his services in a more permanent role.
Carrick has done more than enough to prove he deserves a chance to continue his work at United.
Even if he doesn’t get the job this summer, the Englishman can hold his head high knowing he has laid a solid foundation that United can build upon on their return to the pinnacle of English football.
The recent 3-2 victory over Liverpool was a culmination of Carrick’s job well done.
It sealed United’s place at the top of the “Big Six” ranking and a return to the Champions League following a two-year hiatus.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about their historical rivals, who find themselves on the wrong end of a league double against United for the first time in a decade.
While they’re still on course to secure Champions League football, Liverpool have the worst record in “Big Six” outings this season – a stark contrast to the form that sparked their title triumph last term.
Manchester City are the closest challengers to United this season.
They could close the gap to United further with a win against Aston Villa in their final “Big Six” outing, but it wouldn’t be enough to lay a glove on their “noisy neighbours”.
It’s a massive upturn from United’s miserable form in these games last season. The Red Devils had the worst “Big Six” record, winning just one of their 10 games in 2024/25.
It wouldn’t be outlandish to suggest United could be in the title conversation if they dispatched teams in the bottom half of the table under Ruben Amorim.
If they can maintain this form against their rivals next season, they could be one step closer to reclaiming their status as Kings of England.
Meanwhile, Villa have been the surprise package of the “Big Six” mini league after displacing the relegation-battling Tottenham Hotspur.
They’ve gone toe to toe with the best in the league and come away with four wins in eight games to sit third in the exclusive ranking.
That’s no small feat from Unai Emery’s Champions League-bound troops, who have done better than Chelsea, Liverpool, and even champions-elect Arsenal.
Here’s how the ‘big six’ head-to-head table stacks up so far in 2025/26, with each team placed in order of their points-per-game: