Manchester United are desperate to secure European football at Old Trafford next season.
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Manchester United will be desperate to qualify for Europe next season following another underwhelming campaign at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are 24 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City but could still clinch silverware this campaign after booking their place in the FA Cup final following a penalty shootout victory over Coventry in the last four on Sunday.
United are sixth in the top-flight table and have almost certainly blown their chances of returning to the Champions League after falling 13 points behind fourth-place Aston Villa, who have racked-up 66 points. Meanwhile, Tottenham are fifth with 60 points.
With 15 points still up for grabs for Erik ten Hag’s men, they could yet leapfrog both teams. But with a freakishly unusual set of results needed for that to happen, that scenario is highly unlikely.
United do appear to have arguably the easiest fixtures on paper though, with Burnley visiting Manchester this weekend ahead of the Red Devils’ trip to Crystal Palace. But United then host Arsenal and Newcastle in back-to-back clashes before finishing the campaign at Brighton.
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Tottenham have an incredibly tough run-in as they host Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday before travelling to Chelsea and Liverpool. After welcoming Burnley to White Hart Lane, Ange Postecoglou’s team then face Manchester City at home before ending the season at Sheffield United.
Villa have two games fewer than Spurs and one game fewer than United but will fancy their chances of holding onto fourth spot after building a substantial lead over their rivals. Unai Emery’s team host Chelsea this weekend before going on the road to Brighton. Villa’s penultimate clash sees them welcoming Liverpool, who may already be out of the title race by then, with an encounter at Crystal Palace rounding the season off.
With no English clubs remaining in the top two European club competitions this campaign, there is unlikely to be a fifth Champions League place up for grabs for a Premier League team next season. Currently, the fifth and sixth teams will qualify for the Europa League, with the seventh-place finishers taking their place in the Europa Conference League.
United could yet be overtaken by Newcastle, who are three points behind the Red Devils in seventh. But Ten Hag’s side will have two chances to qualify for the Europa League as this season’s FA Cup winners will automatically be handed a place in Europe’s second tier competition when the new campaign gets underway.
Manchester United fixtures
Saturday, April 27 | Manchester United vs Burnley
Monday, May 6 | Crystal Palace vs Manchester United
Sunday, May 19 | Brighton vs Manchester United
Tottenham fixtures
Sunday, April 28 | Tottenham vs Arsenal
Thursday, May 2 | Chelsea vs Tottenham
Sunday, May 5 | Liverpool vs Tottenham
Sunday, May 11 | Tottenham vs Burnley
Sunday, May 19 | Sheffield United vs Tottenham
Aston Villa fixtures
Saturday, April 27 | Aston Villa vs Chelsea
Sunday, May 5 | Brighton vs Aston Villa
Monday, May 13 | Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Sunday, May 19 | Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa