We are into the final four weeks of the season and Manchester United have plenty to play for as Erik ten Hag’s men chase a second trophy of the season and a return to Europe’s fine dining table.
After one season out of the Champions League, United will be looking for an immediate return as they close in on a top-four finish.
The late 1-0 defeat to Brighton earlier this week hurt United’s chances but it remains firmly in their grip, with manager Ten Hag describing it as ‘in our hands’.
United are currently four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool but have one game in hand on their rivals, with Brighton also in the hunt for a Champions League finish. The Seagulls are trailing United by eight points but have a game in hand on the Reds.
With five Premier League games remaining, United will fancy their chances of seeing the season out and achieving their target of finishing inside the top four. A third-place finish is also possible, with Newcastle standing just two points ahead of United as things stand.
United have trips to West Ham and Bournemouth remaining, with home games against Wolves, Chelsea and Fulham scheduled in-between. Winning all five games would see United finish the season on 78 points, which can only be bettered by Newcastle (80 points).
A perfect run is, however, unlikely to be necessary to finish in the top four as Liverpool and Brighton can only finish on 71 and 73 points respectively.
Additionally, Newcastle and Brighton will be facing each other later this month, meaning only one of the teams will be able to hit their maximum points tally.
Should Brighton will all of their remaining six games, they would end up with 73 points and their superior goal difference means that United need at least 11 points from 15 available to secure Champions League football. On that basis, Newcastle would not be able to get more than 77 points.
Should the game between Newcastle and Brighton end in a draw, the two Champions League hopefuls would only be able to record 78 and 71 points respectively, giving United the chance to secure a top-four finish with nine points from five games, putting them one point ahead of Liverpool’s maximum (71).
It’s going to be a tight run-in but fortunately, United are in exactly the position they were hoping for at the start of the season.
