Manchester United have three Premier League fixtures of the 2023/2024 campaign remaining, after which they’ll lock horns with Manchester City for a second successive Manchester derby FA Cup final.
Following last night’s defeat at the hands of a relentless Crystal Palace, the Old Trafford faithful’s hopes of lifting the silverware have been significantly dampened yet again.
They were played out of Selhurst Park on Monday as the Eagles dominated the clash from minute one through to 90, scoring four goals with United unable to register even one in response.
Losing all three points on the road now means that United are on track to oversee their worst-ever Premier League finish. Currently, it stands as the seventh-placed finish they sustained under David Moyes in 2014, which saw them claim 64 points in total. Now, they are unable to reach that tally as they sit on 54 points with just nine available to them.
FA Cup could end woeful term on somewhat of a high
Nevertheless, the cup final would certainly grant the fans some solace after a potentially history-making campaign. Those who already have or are looking for tickets to the FA Cup final will be crossing their fingers that Erik ten Hag’s men can defy all odds and carry out a dignified win over their cross-city rivals.
Reminder that there will be a ticket release at 10am Wednesday morning for eligible #MUFC fans who did *not* apply in the original FA Cup final ballot as well as Red Level Season Ticket holders who have purchased tickets for all home cup games and the Emirates FA Cup semi-final.
— Dale O'Donnell (@ODonnellDale) May 7, 2024
There are hopes that the likes of Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford can return in time to feature from the offset, as well as soon-to-be free agent Anthony Martial
The Blues have their focus split on both the final, which is penned in for May 25, and lifting a fourth consecutive Premier League title. In doing so, they would etch their names into the history books once more by becoming the first-ever team to win four in a row.
Arsenal, who play United next, currently sit atop the table on 83 points but have just two matches left to play, whereas City have three, giving Pep Guardiola’s side all the power to go all the way.
Liverpool all but ruled themselves out of the mix following a string of costly results, including the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, 1-0 loss to Palace, 2-0 loss to Everton and 2-2 draw with West Ham United.
Aston Villa currently look like the most likely team to claim the fourth Champions League spot after what’s been nothing short of an outstanding and remarkable term under Unai Emery.
It’s unlikely that United will be playing any form of Eueopean football in 2024/2025.
“Hoping for the best” seems to sum up every match we’ve played, and also Ten Hag’s idea of coaching.