The race is surely on for the Champions League places after this week’s Premier League results. While the top two of Tottenham and Leicester are more or less guaranteed to play in the competition as direct qualifiers from the Premier League, there is a shadow about who might end up coming in the top four.
Playing in the Champions League isn’t important just because it is one of the biggest tournaments in the world but also because of the monetary aspect which allows teams to spend enormous wads of cash to sign the best players or even get more lucrative advertisement deals.
Manchester United have one such deal in place with Adidas and failure to make it into the European competition will hurt the English side a lot. United currently lie four points behind Arsenal, who are slipping alarmingly fast down the league table and also Manchester City, who seem to be picking up the points at the right time of the season.
For Manchester United to make it into the Champions League there are a few things that must happen and her we look at what are the requirements for the Red Devils to make it through.
Arsenal must slip up
Arsenal are the team that are in real trouble this season and with the Gunners dropping points yet again at the Emirates, they could be the team that ends up outside the top four. Arsene Wenger must be worried about his side and the way they are playing games.
The Gunners dominated possession against Crystal Palace but just could not get the job done and well it even looked like the Eagles would have picked up the three points had they had a bit more of luck on their side. With away games against Sunderland and Manchester City, Arsenal could be dropping more points and that could well be the way United sneak into the Champions League.
City should not win the Champions League
While we spoke about one team who is four points ahead of Manchester United, another one is City and the club probably will be looking at the Champions League as their best chance of taking part next season.
This is the one trophy that Manuel Pellegrini has not won in his time at the club and this would be the perfect going away gift for the Chilean. City have been poor since January but Kevin De Bruyne is back and that can only mean good things for the Blue half of Manchester. The team that wins the Champions League gets automatic entry into the competition next season and City have to avoid winning it if United want a chance of qualifying.
City could well end up outside the top five and even if United do make it to the top four, City and Liverpool would make it into the competition next season if they win their respective European competitions.
United must win all their games
Manchester United are squeezing the results in but they need to ensure they win all their games in the Premier League as well. The Red Devils do have an FA Cup semi-final on the cards but they have to play in the Champions League next season, whether Louis van Gaal stays or not.
The side might not be playing the best but getting the results is important, United do have a couple of tough away games against Everton and West Ham but who knows, if they can avoid a defeat in those games, they could squeeze into the Champions League and well ensure that Louis van Gaal stays for another season, which not many Manchester United fans would like.