Friday's FA Cup third-round clash with Everton will mark the second of four home games in the space of 12 days for Manchester United.
After locking horns with the Toffees, the Reds will then switch their focus to Tuesday evening's Carabao Cup quarter-final against Charlton Athletic. They will then wrap up what has been a relentless period with the derby against Manchester City a-week-on-Saturday, ahead of enjoying the luxury of a rare week without a game, provided they don't require a replay with Everton.
To say that the next nine days will present different challenges and obstacles for Erik ten Hag's side is something of an understatement, not least when they will be competing in three different competitions. Each fixture, however, is vitally important in United's quest to achieve their respective ambitions this season.
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Since the domestic campaign resumed following the World Cup break on December 21, United have enjoyed an excellent run of results, winning four matches, scoring nine goals and conceding none. Tuesday night's 3-0 win over Bournemouth, which stretched their winning run at home to seven matches, tightened their grip on a top-four berth, so much so that they have now become one of the favourites to occupy a Champions League spot come May.
But as good as United's form since the restart has been, they have, in the eyes of some of the most pessimistic people knocking around, only seen off teams that they should be beating. However, when you remember that United were beaten at home by Aston Villa and Wolves, were embarrassed by the likes of Brighton, Leicester and Watford on their travels, and only just scraped past Norwich twice last season, nothing can be taken for granted in the Premier League.
After all, who would have expected Manchester City to pick up just one point from back-to-back home games against Brentford and Everton in recent weeks? Nothing is a given in this sport.
After beating Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur, and drawing with Chelsea, prior to the World Cup break earlier this season, United had to start proving that they could beat sides beneath them in the table. Brighton and Brentford took six points off them at the very start of the campaign, let's not forget.
But having dispatched Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Bournemouth in the league since the restart, as well as Burnley in the Carabao Cup, United are now proving that they can make relatively light work of the sides, with respect, that they should be beating. Last season, and in previous years, they have not done that enough, further highlighting the overall improvement that has been overseen by Ten Hag.
Although United can now take a brief pause from the Premier League following a relentless Christmas period, back-to-back home matches against Everton and Charlton in the cups present them with golden opportunities to extend their winning run ahead of picking their league campaign back up against City. United will enter the two aforementioned cup clashes as overwhelming favourites to progress in each competition, booking their spots in both the FA Cup fourth round and Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Though Ten Hag, just as any manager would, will be urging his players to remain grounded and not get ahead of themselves, United will enter the meetings with Everton and the League One Addicks with the expectation of winning, given they are up against two sides beneath them in the English football pyramid.
Both games are significantly important and you can almost guarantee that Ten Hag, given his approach in cup fixtures already this season, will name as strong a line-up as possible in both. Should he do that, United should avoid any unwanted slip ups.
Therefore, should they get the job done against both Everton and Charlton, United will have recorded six wins out of six since the restart, all coming against sides they should be beating. They will have stood up to the pressure that comes with winning games they are expected to, further confirming that they are moving in the right direction under Ten Hag in more ways than one, ahead of back-to-back games against City and Arsenal where the favourites tag might just be back on the other foot.
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