With just hours to go before their decisive Premier League clash against an equally determined Leicester side, Manchester United are now within arm’s reach of finishing in the top four but there’s still a possibility that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad could end up being denied a place in next year’s Champions League should they end up finishing in fourth place.
Manchester United take on Leicester at the King Power Stadium in just a few hours later today, sights firmly fixated on their ultimate target – the Champions League. Solskjaer’s squad are cherishing hopes of finishing in the top four this season, being currently in third place with 63 points on the Premier League table before today’s final round of fixtures.
The Red Devils are matched nose-to-nose by Chelsea also on 63 and who take on Wolves at home today with Frank Lampard’s side 13 goals ahead of Man United’s goal difference of 28.
Snuggled up uncomfortably close behind them both are Leicester on 62 points with a goal difference to match United’s. This means there’s still everything to play for today as the intense battle for the final top four looms just around the corner.
Solskjaer, ever confident and optimistic, believes his homegrown side will have the edge over rivals Leicester among the top four.
He said: “The players now are learning what the other players through history have been through.
“We’ve been doing well before as well, having setbacks and having to come back.
“But say, for example, Marcus (Rashford) or Mason (Greenwood), they’ve been in the academy for so many years, they’ve seen so many players having done this before them, so it’s a great learning for them.”
Securing a win today would guarantee them the third spot placing – but if they were to be slapped with a loss this afternoon, United will be relying on Chelsea to chalk up a loss so they can secure fourth place.
Even then that might not be enough to save their hopes of playing in the Champions League next season.