Manchester United make the short trip over to Merseyside to play Everton on Monday night.
They come into the game in good form and should be high on confidence due to their positive results.
They have also had almost a two week break between games due to not being involved in any form of European football this season and exiting the FA Cup early on.
Therefore, they should arrive at the Hill Dickinson Stadium fresh and ready to go again.
In their last match, the Red Devils drew 1-1 at West Ham. It may be viewed by some as a disappointing result but it kept their unbeaten run going. Their unbeaten Premier League run goes back to December 21st and a lot of games have been played in that time.
The draw was also earnt after a stoppage time strike from Benjamin Sesko so it demonstrated their fighting spirit as Michael Carrick’s side avoided defeat. Whilst it was a game that many may have expected United to win, the Hammers have also improved in recent weeks.
United are fourth in the table and are hoping to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
Meanwhile, David Moyes’ Toffees come into this game in eighth place and lost at home to Bournemouth in their last match. They have, however, had some positive results lately such as an away win at Aston Villa.
For Everton, the home form has been a concern of late with their last home win at the new stadium coming back in early December, against Nottingham Forest. This may give United, a side who recently won away at Arsenal and ended their unbeaten home record, confidence.
In November when they met at Old Trafford, it ended as a 1-0 win to Everton. The Toffees played much of that match with 10 men and it marked a disappointing evening for a United side managed by Ruben Amorim.
Despite playing against 10 men for so long, Amorim’s side stuck to their shape with three at the back and the wing-backs as part of the system too. They did not advance higher up the pitch and put Moyes’ side under pressure.
Everton took the lead through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and they then defended well but still created chances of their own.
It was a game that summed up Amorim’s tenure in the sense that some of the play was great as United started the game the stronger side but they could not adapt and struggled with the challenge of facing ten men.
Much has changed at the club and, under Carrick, there is a feeling that the players are playing with more freedom and creativity.
Before the trip to the London Stadium, United had scored ten goals in their four games under Carrick so were looking like an attacking threat.
Can they put together another good run?
United had won four games in a row going into the match against West Ham and a lot of the talk was about if they could make it to five matches in a row.
They did not gain the fifth straight win and it was inevitable that the run would come to an end at some point.
Now, the trip to Merseyside could prove a test of Carrick’s ability and his squad because the focus will be on how they respond to the draw. There are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic but Carrick will be keen for his side to bounce back immediately with a positive result.
They will want to prove that the four wins in a row were not a case of a short term fix, a ‘new manager bounce’ or ‘luck’ and that the team can turn a corner and become more consistent.
If they were to lose to Everton then questions may be asked of the side and their ability to play under pressure, as many may believe that United come into the game as favourites.
However, under the numerous managers at Old Trafford over recent years, United have also always had the ability to turn up in one-off games against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool and get wins.
Carrick’s time in charge began with wins against City and Arsenal.
Therefore, the fact that they dropped points in the West Ham game where they would have been expected to win may be a concern for some. Draws against the Hammers, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers proved costly for Amorim ultimately.
Inevitably, Carrick is not under such pressure and it remains only a short term appointment at the moment but it is a habit that the club will need to put right if they wish to be competing for titles.
Having an unbeaten run is a good start but United have had nine draws already this season and that is a lot for a side who have aspirations of being higher up the table. They have also conceded more goals than many of the teams around them.
Consistency and having a killer attacking instinct are qualities that the top sides possess and demonstrate regularly.
They are in the middle of the battle for UEFA Champions League qualification and the four wins have put them in a promising position but there remains a lot of football to play.
When will a decision be made on the next manager?
Games like this one could go some way towards staking Carrick’s claim for the job full time, should he be interested.
He will be facing former United and experienced Premier League manager David Moyes in the opposing dugout and it will be a test. Everton are having a good season and have their own ambitions of qualifying for Europe.
If United deliver a good performance and come away with a win then Carrick’s record as interim head coach cannot be ignored.
The ownership at the club will want to allow time to assess the situation and look at all options going forward but there will come a time when a decision has to be made.
If the previous 1-1 draw was viewed as a setback then Carrick may learn a lot about how his players can react to that in this game. Simultaneously, the club’s hierarchy may learn more about how their interim leader handles the pressure and expectation of managing a side like United.