Manchester United 's late loss to Arsenal at the Emirates in January has been cited as their "what if" moment by former player Paul Ince.
The Red Devils headed to north London off the back of five wins in six games, knowing a win would take them to within five points of top spot as they continued to gather momentum. Eventually though they would be undone by a dramatic Eddie Nketiah strike in the 90th minute.
United had taken the lead courtesy of Marcus Rashford and then fought back to make it 2-2 when Lisandro Martinez headed home, but couldn't hold on for a point. Since the reverse they've won just three of their last seven games, which has seen them fall out of title contention.
Now, after their latest loss to Newcastle, the Red Devils face a battle to finish in the top four. Ince has highlighted the fine margins, insisting a win in north London several weeks ago could've changed the course of their campaign under Erik ten Hag.
He told Sporting Post : "22 points is a lot to be behind ( Arsenal ) after this many games, but that game at the Emirates could have made things so different. Football is a game of “what ifs”, what if Manchester United had won that game? They are defining moments that dictate the next 10-15 games."
United have since claimed the Carabao Cup, ending their trophy drought which dated back to 2017. They also remain in contention for the FA Cup and the Europa League, but their league form has dipped, which included an embarrassing 7-0 reverse against Liverpool.
Ince is adamant that Ten Hag has taken United forward, albeit there have been some bumps in the road. Over £200m was spent in the summer and the club are set to invest once again with the former player acknowledging that the competition will only increase.
He added: "Ten Hag is doing a very good job. The players and fans are all on-side and he’s changed a lot of things in a small amount of time. United will always spend money because they want to be the best and they have to try and be the best because that’s what it was like under Sir Alex. But competing isn’t going to be easy as there will be 6 or 7 clubs vying for those spots."
United are looking to add a marquee No 9 in the summer with Harry Kane their prime target. Marcus Rashford has excelled in the final third, but is seen as more of a wide forward, paving the way for the club to spend big on a goalscorer who can compliment their current options.
