Manchester United remaining Premier League fixtures…

Manchester United remaining Premier League fixtures compared with Newcastle, Liverpool and rivals

Manchester United missed out on the opportunity to tighten their grip on a top-four berth last night, suffering a last-gasp 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister converted a dramatic 99th-minute penalty to seal all three points for the Seagulls after Luke Shaw was guilty of handling a cross inside the penalty area. To Brighton's credit, they had been knocking on the door in the latter stages of the contest and did look the more likely side to win the contest as the clock ticked down.

Defeat for Erik ten Hag's side meant that they missed out on the chance to tighten their grip on a Champions League place and climb above Newcastle United. Instead, the Reds must now watch out for Liverpool in their rear-view mirror.

The Merseysiders, though they have played a game more, are now just four points behind United in the table and could reduce that gap to a solitary point if they beat Brentford on Saturday evening at Anfield, ahead of the Reds travelling to West Ham United just over 24 hours later.

It means that the race for a top-four finish has suddenly been blown wide open, meaning nerves could start to creep in for United between now and the end of the campaign. With that said, MEN Sport has taken a close look at the remaining hurdles that each of the sides still in contention for Champions League qualification must overcome between now and the finish line.

Manchester United - 4th (63pts)

West Ham United (A) - May 7
Wolves (H) - May 13
Bournemouth (A) - May 20
Chelsea (H) - May 25
Fulham (H) - May 28

Verdict: United need to make those three home games count. However bad they have been away from home this season, their form at Old Trafford has been excellent.

They will be favourites to win each of their three remaining home games and a haul of nine points would be enough to wrap up a top-four berth. Suddenly, though, their journey to the finish line might not be quite as comfortable.