Former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin has left Erik ten Hag's side out of the conversation for a top-four place this season, as he sends the Reds a warning ahead of their clash with Tottenham on Wednesday night.
United are currently three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with a trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend. Although Graham Potter's side superior goal difference means the chances of the Reds overtaking the West London club on Saturday afternoon are slim, they can move level on points with a win.
Before that fixture, United are taking on Tottenham at Old Trafford on Wednesday night as they prepare for a visit from Antonio Conte's side. Spurs have only lost one Premier League match this season, against top of the table Arsenal, and Ten Hag will be hoping his side can inflict a similar defeat as they did on the Gunners last month.
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Despite United being so close to the Champions League places and it still being so early in the season, Dublin does not think the Reds will feature in the battle for the top-four.
Speaking to the Express about which teams he think are likely to feature in the top-four race, he said: "City, obviously, Liverpool, it's going to take a massive task for them to get back to where they need to be, but they've got everything they need. Chelsea have turned a corner [and] Arsenal are top of the tree. Antonio Conte and Spurs, I mean, I could go on.
"Outside as well...Brighton are playing some good stuff. I'm glad it's so open, to be honest with you. I'm glad there are teams in and around the top 10 that you probably wouldn't expect to be there, and I'm glad because it just makes it a little bit more interesting."
Looking ahead to United's game against Tottenham, Dublin predicted it will be a difficult match for Ten Hag's side.
He said: "I think it's a difficult one for United, [they] have got more than enough when it comes to quality, but I just think Spurs have got that Antonio Conte [character], especially in midfield. They've got a bit of grit in there, a bit of anger. You know, they've got some physical presence in there and looking up top, Son [Heung-min] and [Harry] Kane, they do what they do, they score goals.
"But having a coach like Antonio Conte, you can't rest on your laurels. You can't sit on your heels. You've got to stay on the front foot all the time. That's what they're doing, Spurs, they're playing some good stuff, scoring some good goals, and they've got an ugly side to their game where they're doing well. So United are going to find it really difficult against Spurs, but they've got enough in their locker."
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