Manchester United's forward line has delivered exactly what the team needed. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo both reached 10 Premier League goals in the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, joining Benjamin Sesko in double figures. It is the first time since the Second World War that a United side has increased its goal tally by 50% season-on-season, climbing from 44 to 66 with a game to spare.

That goal output has shifted everything. United sit third after finishing 17th last year. Carrick's trio of strikers have only started seven league games together, but their complementary styles—Cunha's dribbling, Mbeumo and Sesko's off-the-ball runs—give the manager a platform to build on. Bruno Fernandes at No 10 has sharpened the setup.

Sunderland turned a 0-1 halftime deficit into a 3-1 win at Everton, their second-half specialists continuing to make an impact. Meanwhile, Brighton squandered 19 shots against Leeds—xG 2.76—before losing to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's 96th-minute winner. That collapse could cost them Champions League football entirely.