After last night’s victory at home to Brentford, Manchester United face another important test this Saturday as they take on Everton.
Currently on 53 points, level with Newcastle and three clear of Tottenham, United sit in fourth place. Brighton are not far behind with 46 points and a game in hand. Not only is Champions League qualification a top priority for the Reds, but April also features an FA Cup semi-final and a Europa League quarter-final.
The next two months are set to be congested for United, with 10 league games still left to play, as well as three cup games so far. Should Erik ten Hag’s men progress in both the FA Cup and Europa League, a potential four more fixtures could be thrown into the mix.
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United will look to ensure a top-four finish come May, whilst also trying to obtain further silverware this season. With this in mind, what does the end of the season look like for the club, as well as their league competitors?
Cup challenges
United’s first hurdle in cup competition comes next Thursday as they host Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final first leg. Their Spanish opponents are currently struggling in La Liga, sitting in 13th, just four points from relegation.
Should United progress, they will face either Juventus or Sporting Lisbon. In the scenario of reaching the final, the potential opposition is either Feyenoord, Roma, Bayer Leverkusen or surprise package Union-Saint Gilloise.
Domestically, United face high-flying Brighton at Wembley on 23rd April in the FA Cup. There is extra incentive to reach the final, with a potential match-up against Manchester City on the cards. City face Sheffield United in their semi-final.
Premier League fixtures
Yesterday’s win over Brentford was an important one for United, restoring confidence in the squad and furthering the push for a place in the top four. Everton visit Old Trafford next on Saturday, followed by a trip to Nottingham Forest the following weekend for United.
They then face a tough run of games against Tottenham, Brighton again, and then a clash against in-form Aston Villa.
Maximum points will be the aim in May’s first three games against West Ham, Wolves and Bournemouth. All three teams are currently in the midst of a wide-open relegation battle, with each side still well away from safety and desperate for points.
United then encounter a tough fixture against Chelsea, for which a date is still yet to be confirmed. The last day of the season sees Fulham visit Old Trafford, a replay of last month's FA Cup quarter-final.
Newcastle United
With the same amount of games remaining as Manchester United, but no cup commitments, Newcastle’s sole focus is now European qualification. The Magpies also secured three points last night against West Ham, with Brentford next on the agenda.
Over the next two months, Newcastle play Southampton, Everton, Leeds and Leicester City. All four teams are also involved in the contested relegation scrap, meaning Eddie Howe will be looking for significant points across these games.
However, the Toon also face fellow top-four hopefuls Tottenham, as well as top-of-the-table Arsenal at the start of May.
Brighton and Hove Albion
A team that nobody would have predicted to be in the race for the top four at this late stage, Brighton have sparked into life this season under Roberto De Zerbi.
The Seagulls arguably have the most challenging set of fixtures out of the four contenders, with games against Tottenham, Chelsea, United and Arsenal all fast approaching. Manchester City also visit the Amex Stadium, with a date for the fixture still to be confirmed.
However, clashes with Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Everton and Southampton will provide good opportunities for Brighton to pick up crucial points from late April onwards.
Tottenham Hotspur
Despite their draw against Everton on Monday night, Tottenham are still in hot pursuit of Champions League for next season.
Spurs have a number of difficult tasks ahead of them, including hosting Brighton this weekend. Late April then sees a run of games against Newcastle, Man United and finally Liverpool.
Whilst points may be hard to come by during these fixtures, the north London side will look to games against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Leeds on the final day to secure European football.
Concerningly for Spurs fans, Brighton, Newcastle and Man United all have an extra more game to play, which may prove pivotal come 28th May.
Other outliers
Despite their impressive run of form under Unai Emery, it is unlikely Aston Villa can mount a serious challenge for the top four. The Birmingham outfit sit nine points behind 4th place, having played a game more than United and Newcastle.
Liverpool’s shaky season looks to have taken too much damage, as the Reds sit in 8th place on 43 points. After last night’s results, Jurgen Klopp’s side are now 10 points behind a Champions League spot. Europa League or Europa Conference League seem more realistic targets.
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