Manchester United bounced back from Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle with a worthy, if not comfortable, 1-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday.
At one point this season, the Reds were being tipped as outside title contenders, but now they are in a battle for a top-four spot. Any thoughts of a chase for the league ended with a thud at Anfield in the 7-0 mauling by Liverpool last month.
Erik ten Hag oversaw the club’s heaviest-ever defeat to their arch-rivals and the win over Brentford prevented a new unwanted club record from being broken. United were on the brink of going four Premier League games without a goal for the first time ever, but for 28-goal Marcus Rashford’s winner.
READ MORE: Why Anthony Martial did not start vs Brentford
This was revenge for August’s 4-0 defeat in the reverse fixture but that scoreline is still affecting United today, as do the Liverpool routing and the 6-3 loss to Manchester City in October.
The Reds sit on a goal difference of just five with Newcastle on 26 following their 5-1 thrashing of West Ham on Wednesday. They have the same number of points as United while dishevelled Tottenham sit in fifth, three points behind having played a game more.
Spurs, though, sit on a goal difference of 12 and given their recent tribulations, the fact they are still within a top-four shout is as ominous as it is perplexing. Bear in mind Brighton too, who will overtake Tottenham should they win their games in hand and have a goal gap of +17.
While United have scored just once in the last four league outings, Newcastle have netted 11 in the same period while Spurs have netted seven times and Brighton, eight. United have the second-worst goal difference in the top nine, with only Aston Villa lower on -1.
Ten Hag can have confidence in his side given the games they have left to play and the fact his squad have shown enough mettle to win a cup and be in the latter stages of two other competitions this season.
But he has repeatedly called for his side to be more ruthless in their attack. One instance, after the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in January, saw the Dutchman nail home this point after conceding a 90th-minute equaliser.
“We had control of the game - we needed to invest more for a second goal,” he said. “If you score the game is over and now instead you get hammered with an unlucky moment in the end. I have to criticise my team. Go for the second.”
Of course, that was in respect of in-your-hand points but given how close the top four race currently is, places could be decided on goal difference and so, in effect, count for an extra point.
The Premier League table shows why Ten Hag was so eager for United to be clinical. The good news is that United have ten games left and have ample opportunity to correct the goal gap.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are soon to return from respective suspension and injury while Anthony Martial has come back from a three-month absence, all of which come as big boosts.
United can deliver a statement at home to Everton this Saturday before hammering in more against Nottingham Forest - a team they have already fired eight goals past this campaign - in the next league match.
Furthermore, the run-in includes relegation-fearing West Ham, Wolves and Bournemouth - there is still time to catch up. Newcastle’s goal difference may be unassailable but United have the capability of surpassing those of Spurs and Brighton.
“Unfortunately for us, he is the main source of goals, we could do with an extra one,” Sir Alex Ferguson said of Rashford after the Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley.
The Premier League standings show the absence of a fellow goal-getter has pained United so far.
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