United must focus on overtaking Aston Villa instead of Tottenham with 10 games to go
Manchester United returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 2-0 Premier League win over Everton at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils scored twice from the penalty spot in the opening half. It was sufficient for a victory as the Toffees lacked composure in front of goal.
The win has reduced the gap to fourth-placed Aston Villa to eight points following the latter’s 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park on Sunday.
Spurs are now in an advantageous position in the Champions League race. They are two points behind Villa with a game in hand and look best placed to finish fourth.
With Villa’s inconsistent form in the second half of the season, we believe United must now overtake them for the fifth position before the end of the campaign.
The club are currently eight points behind Unai Emery’s side and we can virtually add another point, considering the huge goal difference to the Villans (18).
Comparing the fixtures of both teams, United currently have two more fixtures against the current top seven. They are due to host rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.
On the contrary, Villa still need to tackle West Ham United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
They also face a testing challenge against a resurgent Wolverhampton Wanderers side this month.
Taking this into regard, United definitely have the better run on paper and there is a good possibility of United leapfrogging Villa come the end of the season.
Fifth place does not guarantee Champions League football at the moment. The scenario could be completely different based on the country’s European success.
For example, if Manchester City and Liverpool were to win the Champions League and Europa League, it could drastically improve UEFA’s co-efficient rankings for the season.
The top two countries in the ranking list would be guaranteed a fifth Champions League spot. Villa could also help United indirectly by lifting the Conference League title.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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