How many wins does Man Utd need to settle top four battle?
Thursday night, Manchester United’s pursuit of a top-four finish was hampered by a loss to Brighton.
Luke Shaw conceded a penalty deep into stoppage time to essentially hand Brighton the victory, denying Manchester United a golden opportunity to move closer to clinching Champions League football. Nonetheless, United retains complete control of their own fate as the season’s concluding games approach.
Here, we examine precisely what it will take for United to close the deal between now and the end of the season.
As it stands
Remaining fixtures
Man Utd.
Chelsea (H), Fulham (H), Wolves (H), Bournemouth (A).
Newcastle United.
Arsenal (A), Leeds (A), Brighton (H), and Leicester (H).
Liverpool.
Aston Villa (H), Brentford (H), Leicester (A), and Southampton (A).
Brighton.
Everton (Home), Arsenal (Away), Newcastle (Away), Southampton (Home), Manchester City (Home), and Aston Villa (Away).
The figures.
With United currently four points behind Liverpool with a game in hand and eight ahead of Brighton having played one more game, they can secure a place in the top four with one game remaining, presuming both Brighton and United win their remaining contests.
This scenario would necessitate four additional victories for the Red Devils, but it is unlikely to occur. United and Brighton are not likely to win the match with a perfect record. Liverpool could still catch up to complicate matters, but Erik ten Hag’s squad can add a much-needed cushion by winning their game in hand.
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- Leandro Trossard “peaks” as Arsenal startled to life by Burnley.
- Arsenal star’s January move could be in trouble after injury blow
United can be secure from Liverpool with two games to spare if they win their game in hand, meaning they need no more than three victories out of their remaining five to defeat Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
How many wins does Man Utd need to settle top four battle?