As the likes of Liverpool and West Ham United regain momentum lost in recent times to claim the much-coveted top-four finish in this season’s Premier League football, the question on everyone’s lips is whether Manchester United’s healthy lead over their fellow Champions League hopefuls allow them to withhold the ever-increasing pressure.
The Manchester Reds sit in the second spot of the league table with a four-point lead over third-placed Leicester City maintained courtesy of the recent 2-1 win over Brighton this past weekend which was a great result for the hosts despite an early setback.
But with a host of sides vying to displace the Foxes off their perch, does a slender margin worth four points guarantee Ole Gunnar Solskajer’s side safety of their participation in next season’s Champions League football?
Many would argue that the Red Devils have largely exceeded expectations this time around following the loss of impulse early on in the top-flight campaign and that Solskajer has rallied his troops in a formidable manner to take them up to second in the standings.
Heading into the midweek Europa League clash against La Liga opponents Granada, a game which Manchester United enter as heavy favourites tipped by online betting sites in Uganda, this coming Sunday’s showdown in North London against Tottenham Hotspur could play a major role in deciding the fate of both sides entering the high-billed contest.
The Old Trafford giants are in requirement of the luxury of Champions League football with Solskajer bracing himself for a pivotal summer transfer window amid United being linked with a number of in-demand stars across the continent.
Borussia Dortmund talisman Erling Haaland, who has been connected with a switch to both Manchester outfits ahead of the summer, or RB Leipzig playmaker Marcel Sabitzer are unlikely to arrive at United should the pair not be guaranteed midweek action amongst Europe’s elite.
Counting on potential glory in their Europa League campaign seems far-fetched even for the Red Devils as Arsenal and Roma also remain in on the fray to pose a tough challenge to Solskajer’s men for the title.
Only time will tell whether United have it in themselves to hold onto a position they have entered with much work going into reforming the brand of football seen at Old Trafford and the boss needs his players to step up now more than ever with lack of a top-four finish certain to spell out the end of Solkjaer’s topsy-turvy reign in charge of his former side.
