Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has revealed his Premier League prediction for Michael Carrick’s next outing as Manchester United interim boss against Crystal Palace.
Manchester United will welcome Crystal Palace to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon and the Premier League clash is slated for a 2pm kick-off time in the UK.
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Michael Carrick has had a dream start to life as Red Devils interim head coach after Man Utd sacked Ruben Amorim as the Premier League club’s manager in January.
The 44-year-old United legend is undefeated in his six-match interim spell so far and Carrick has overseen five Premier League wins since his appointment last month.
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Head Coach Michael Carrick speaks during a Manchester United press conference at the Carrington training complex in 2026 in Manchester, England.
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Paul Merson only sees one Premier League result from Man Utd against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford
The Red Devils dropped their first Premier League points under Michael Carrick earlier this month, with Manchester United securing a 1-1 draw against West Ham.
Following United’s Premier League result against West Ham at the London Stadium, the Red Devils bounced back to winning ways under Carrick on Monday evening.
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Carrick watched on from the Hill Dickinson Stadium dugout as Man Utd secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton in their last Premier League outing.
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Benjamin Sesko celebrates scoring during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, England in 2026.
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Speaking in his Sportskeeda column, Paul Merson insisted that the Red Devils are the clear favourites to beat Crystal Palace at Old Trafford this weekend.
“I can’t see anything but a Manchester United win here,” he said.
“They are on such a roll in terms of results. I say that because they weren’t playing well, but still won against Everton.
“We all know that this is not the Crystal Palace from six months ago. If they were still that team, I would have said Manchester United have a tough game.”
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Carrick has 11 Premier League matches left as interim head coach in the 2025-26 season after stepping into the Old Trafford hot seat in the post-Ruben Amorim era.
The Red Devils had a 13-day waiting period between the West Ham result at the London Stadium and Man Utd’s 1-0 win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Merson has suggested that Carrick and Co are now benefiting from playing essentially one match per week after their FA Cup and League Cup exits this season.
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“In fact, we could say the same about United as well,” he said.
“They look completely different from six months ago. It’s like chalk and cheese for both teams.
“The big advantage for Manchester United is that they only play once a week and can rest well. I expect them to secure a comfortable win.”
Merson has now backed Man Utd to pick up a convincing Premier League victory on Sunday, with the Arsenal legend predicting a 3-0 defeat for Crystal Palace.
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