Premier League Daily Report - 2026-10-29: Carrick keeps Fernandes as United captain before Chelsea test

Michael Carrick confirmed on Thursday that Bruno Fernandes would return as Manchester United captain against Chelsea on Saturday. Fernandes was left on the bench for last Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth after publicly questioning United's tactics following a 4-1 Champions League loss to Como. Harry Maguire wore the armband against Bournemouth, prompting speculation that the change might become permanent. Carrick said the decision to omit Fernandes had been made for football reasons, while confirming that the midfielder remained fully committed to the club and would be back in the squad for the Stamford Bridge fixture.

The decision came with Carrick under severe pressure after United reached an eight-match winless run in all competitions and slipped to 16th, only a point above the relegation zone, according to Free Malaysia Today. Carrick and Fernandes held clear-the-air talks during the week, and the manager said he had no concerns about the player's commitment. Restoring the captain could give United their most creative midfielder back for a demanding away match, but it also leaves Carrick needing an immediate response from a side that badly struggled without Fernandes against Bournemouth.

Everton beat Newcastle United 3-1 on Thursday to reach the League Cup quarter-finals and end a three-match winless run. David Moyes's side took control at the Hill Dickinson Stadium through James Garner's first-half goal, before Hayden Hackney doubled the advantage with his first goal since joining from Middlesbrough during the close season. Thierno Barry added Everton's third after the interval, while Dan Burn's late reply came too late to alter the outcome. The victory sent Everton into a quarter-final against fourth-tier Fleetwood Town, who had eliminated Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The result kept alive Everton's pursuit of a first League Cup final appearance in 43 years. The club have never won the competition, having lost their two previous finals in 1977 and 1984, so the draw with Fleetwood offers a substantial opportunity to progress further. Everton's next tie will be played in the week commencing December 14, according to Fox Sports. For Moyes, the performance also supplied a timely lift after three matches without victory, while the goals from Garner, Hackney and Barry demonstrated that responsibility was not resting on one scorer alone.

Bournemouth beat Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, three days after defeating AC Milan by the same score in the Europa League. The back-to-back victories placed the south-coast club in what supporters described through a giant stadium tifo as “pinch-me” territory. Bournemouth had been playing in the Championship only five years ago and entered bankruptcy protection during the 2007-08 season, when Milan were European champions and United won the Champions League. Their recent results instead put the Cherries alongside two of football's most recognisable clubs as the standout underdog story in England.

The rise has been supported by American owner Bill Foley and a squad containing several leading internationals, including United States captain Tyler Adams, while Bournemouth had already secured their highest-ever Premier League finish by placing sixth last season. The victory at Old Trafford therefore represented more than an isolated upset: it showed how far the club has travelled from financial crisis and the lower divisions. The Europa League success also gave the supporters a European occasion to match their domestic progress, reinforcing the sense that Bournemouth are now competing on a stage once far beyond their reach.

The government delayed a proposed tax change affecting image rights for Premier League footballers and clubs on Wednesday. The measure had threatened to increase costs for top-flight players and their employers, with the Premier League warning that it would have “significantly disrupted” the existing arrangements. The reprieve was reported on Thursday as a development affecting England's leading competition and its commercial structure, rather than an individual club or player. Image-rights agreements are widely used across elite football, making the timing of any reform significant for contracts, recruitment and the financial planning of clubs.

The delay gives the league and its clubs more time before any altered tax treatment takes effect, preserving the current position while the proposal remains under consideration. For players, the issue concerns how earnings connected to commercial identity and publicity are treated; for clubs, it could influence the total cost of retaining or signing high-profile talent. Bloomberg reported the government's decision as a response to concerns raised by the Premier League, making the episode another example of tax policy directly affecting the competition's business model.

Manchester United were ranked the worst transfer operators among European clubs after losing £334 million across the past five years, according to a CIES Football Observatory study reported by Mail Online. The analysis compared transfer fees paid, money received from sales and the estimated value of players still owned, while excluding loans. United were placed 20th among Premier League clubs in the wider ranking and below only Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal overall. The findings added another financial criticism to a club already dealing with managerial uncertainty, dressing-room unrest and a poor start to the league campaign.

The study offers a warning about the cost of recruitment decisions made over several seasons, particularly when expensive signings later leave for substantially lower fees. GiveMeSport reported that the calculation included clubs who had spent more than £42 million on transfer fees since 2021, with add-ons included. United's position means the problem is not simply the size of their spending but the limited value recovered from it. That increases pressure on the club's football operation to improve scouting, contract management and resale value, especially with the January window approaching.