B Fee scored and assisted to set a record as United triumphed 3-0 in the season finale. Carrick explained why he didn't take it easy, and the goal next year is to challenge for the title.

United cruised to a 3-0 victory over Brighton at the Amex, spearheaded by skipper Bruno Fernandes who scored and assisted, bringing his season assist tally to 21 – a new Premier League benchmark that overtakes both Henry and De Bruyne. The 2025/26 campaign thus ended in ideal fashion.

It's a remarkable achievement, but it shouldn't be overstated; there's still a considerable gap from "greatness" and "perfection." This is Manchester United – words like those are only earned by winning the Premier League title. That will be the team's target next season. Caretaker-turned-permanent manager Carrick made his stance clear by fielding a strong side and not holding back, especially since this was his first match as the official United boss.

With Casemiro already departed and Sesko and De Ligt still injured, Carrick named nearly all his other first-choice starters. Mason Mount replaced Casemiro, while the two rare rotations saw Patrick Dorgu come in for Cunha and Mazraoui start instead of Diogo Dalot.

Brighton were still in contention for European qualification before the match, but their motivation might not have been all that strong – after all, a Champions League spot was unlikely, and between the Europa League and Conference League, the latter actually seemed a better opportunity. In the end, the Seagulls secured a spot in the Conference League qualifiers.

A full-strength United completely controlled the game, especially Fernandes, who was eager to claim the assist record for himself. That moment came just half an hour in, when the Portuguese ironman sent in a corner and Dorgu headed home to make it 1-0. Cries of "Bruno!" echoed around the stadium, with the entire coaching staff and substitutes rising to applaud their captain.

Ten minutes later, United doubled their lead. Amad Diallo and Mount combined brilliantly; the former drove to the byline and crossed for Mbeumo to tap into an empty net, making it 2-0. It was Amad's first goal involvement of 2026, which might boost his confidence.

This was arguably United's best away performance of the season. Two goals ahead by half-time, the home fans jeered while the travelling Red Devils supporters were overjoyed, singing a sarcastic chant aimed at their city rivals Manchester City: "Fuck Guardiola, your cheating days are over."

After the break, Dorgu returned the favour by setting up Fernandes for a goal. The referee initially disallowed it for offside, but VAR overturned the decision, confirming the goal. That gave Fernandes his 19th game with both a goal and an assist for United, trailing only Rooney (35) and Giggs (22) in the club's history.

Brighton showed little fight, and United could have scored more, but their finishing and luck were lacking. Dorgu's one-on-one chance was saved by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, and Amad also came close to a one-on-one but was denied by Verbruggen again.

The Red Devils were in full flow; centre-back Maguire even pushed forward and saw a cross-cum-shot hit the crossbar. Substitute Leny Yoro also headed a Fernandes corner against the post.

Despite that, a three-goal cushion allowed Carrick to bring on youngsters Shea Lacey and Tyler Fletcher, though both had already made their debuts earlier in the season – no new academy star made his first appearance in this match. Carrick also gave a farewell run-out to Tyrell Malacia, who is set to leave on a free transfer, as the Dutchman came off the bench for his final game.

On the day the sky-blue side of Manchester closed a glorious era, Carrick led United to an impressive display that rekindled fans' hopes that glory would soon return. The manager praised the team's fighting spirit and determination, and expressed his belief that these qualities would lay a solid foundation for better results next season.

Carrick said: "We're absolutely delighted. It's been a fantastic day, especially after the last two or three weeks when we had secured third place. Once your position is settled, it's easy for players to lose focus or motivation. But we wanted to look at the season as a whole and prepare for next year. The campaign isn't over until it's over, so we kept pushing. Credit to the players – they gave more effort than we could have hoped for."

"I've been through it myself – it's not easy to find that fire and determination. But their desire to win was incredibly strong, and that was obvious," Carrick added. "Playing in this heat was a huge test, especially with our passing style. It required a very strong mentality, and I'm very satisfied because this is exactly the foundation we need to move forward with confidence."

Since Carrick took over, United have collected 39 points from 17 Premier League matches, more than any other team in that same period. However, Carrick knows this is a "limited edition" record achieved without European commitments, and he must not get carried away. Next season, his first full campaign in charge, will be the real test.

"We must remember one key lesson: getting good results in the Premier League is extremely difficult," he said. "We need to gain experience and take the positive lessons. We now have a solid base to build on and move forward."

United finished third in the Premier League this season – only the top two are ahead. Nobody sets out aiming for second, so clearly the Red Devils will target the title next term.

Carrick joked: "I almost forgot – this was my first game since being announced as head coach for next season! Because we've just been going about our training and preparations as usual. Our ambitions are high, as you'd expect. We want the best possible outcome. The players have been very consistent and performed at a high level, which is commendable. With performances like this, we have the foundation to prepare for the new season."

The United boss also confirmed that captain Fernandes will remain at the club next season, which was never really in doubt – the only question is whether the club will offer him a new contract. Fernandes' 21 assists could help him secure a better deal; after all, recording 9 goals and 21 assists (30 goal involvements) will have many fans calling for him to stay even longer.

The 31-year-old Fernandes' current contract expires next summer, though United have an option to extend it by another year. Negotiations are expected to take place in the coming weeks. Fernandes has already won three end-of-season awards: the FWA Footballer of the Year, the Premier League's official award, and the Manchester United players' player of the year. In August, he could also claim the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

The only obstacle is that Ratcliffe doesn't want United's wage structure to spiral out of control – Fernandes' £300,000-a-week salary is already the highest in the squad for next season. However, Carrick stressed that Fernandes will definitely stay at the club. "I have no reason to doubt it!" Carrick said. "We really appreciate everything he does, and he enjoys playing here. You can all see that. He has a huge influence on us, leading by example as captain. He wants to play every game because he genuinely enjoys football – and that's wonderful."

Fernandes himself said: "Breaking the assist record is incredible – I'm absolutely delighted and it's a proud moment. Obviously I never thought I'd achieve it before. Today I was lucky – the credit for that assist goes to coach Jonny Evans, who predicted Patrick (Dorgu) would score with his header; I wasn't so sure. To surpass Henry and De Bruyne is special – they're among the greatest players in Premier League history. My style hasn't really changed; my creativity hasn't improved. The biggest difference is that my teammates have scored more goals, even though the credit goes to me."

United have fulfilled their objectives for this season, but fans' expectations will be even higher next year. The team will play far more than the 40 matches they had this term, and they will be without Casemiro, who contributed nine goals. The current squad depth is insufficient to compete on four fronts, so Carrick needs suitable reinforcements, especially in midfield. Negotiations for Atalanta's Ederson are progressing well, and with West Ham relegated, the transfer of Matheus Fernandes seems inevitable.