There are a few Manchester United players under Michael Carrick who have had something of a career revival. The Red Devils have lost only once under their former midfielder this season, with some of their players impressing after a period of poor form or a lack of opportunity under Ruben Amorim.
One player who fits the latter category is Kobbie Mainoo. The talented 20-year-old was an outcast under Amorim, but has been integral since Carrick took over, starting every game and really dictating things in the middle of the park. He’s formed a superb partnership with Casemiro in midfield.
Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo-1
Playing ahead of them in recent weeks has been Bruno Fernandes, a man in the form of his life.
Fernandes’ form in 2025/26
It has been a turbulent season for United on the pitch, with form once again patchy and a change of manager at the turn of the calendar year.
But one consistently excellent thing is the form of their captain, Fernandes.
Bruno MB Fernandes
Nicknamed the club’s ‘Portuguese Magnifico’ for a reason, the Red Devils’ talisman has been at the heart of everything positive the club has done on the pitch.
He has seven goals and an incredible 14 assists in just 26 Premier League games, with his 21 goal involvements only bettered by Erling Haaland, with 29 to his name.
One thing is for sure, United can always trust Fernandes to show up in the biggest games. The Red Devils' number eight has scored or assisted against every other ‘Big 6’ side this season, including setting up Bryan Mbeumo against Manchester City in Carrick’s first game.
Fernandes has nine games to grab seven assists and become the player with the most assists in a single Premier League campaign.
That would be an impressive achievement by a man who, former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves said, is “arguably the best” player in the division this season.
Bruno-Fernandes-Man-Utd-West-Ham (2)
However, it is not just the United captain who could be considered one of the league’s best in his position.
Man Utd star looks like the best in the league
United made four major summer signings, with Bryan Mbeumo, Mathues Cunha and Benjamin Sesko the three marquee additions. Between them, they cost almost £200m, but United fans may argue that it has been a worthy investment.
One thing they’d unanimously agree on, though, is that the £18.1m fee they paid for goalkeeper Senne Lammens has absolutely been worth the fee.
senne-lammens-man-utd
Described as “colossal” between the posts by Statman Dave, the Belgian has been a standout player for the Red Devils this season.
The 23-year-old has well and truly cemented himself as United’s first-choice goalkeeper this season, proving to be far more reliable than Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir. In 23 Premier League appearances, he’s conceded just 29 goals and has managed five clean sheets.
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A player of the match performance against Everton at the end of February showed exactly why Lammens is so good.
He exudes confidence, and as well as being excellent at claiming crosses, is a brilliant shot stopper. His save from a wicked Michael Keane effort exemplifies that.
Interestingly, his numbers stack up well against Arsenal number one David Raya, the current leader in the race for the Golden Glove.
Whilst the Spaniard does have a marginally better save rate, at just 3.49%, Lammens outperforms him in several metrics, including average number of saves made per 90 minutes, 2.4 compared to 1.6.
Lammens & Raya key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Saves made
Save rate
Long balls completed
Clearances
Shots on target faced
Stats from Squawka
Given how well Lammens compares to Raya, it would not be outlandish to call him one of the Premier League’s best shotstoppers.
Standing at six foot four, he certainly makes his presence known and has pulled off a number of impressive saves.
Senne-Lammens-Man-Utd-Everton
Lammens has perhaps become even better under Carrick, and it is certainly exciting to see how high his ceiling is.
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