
Manchester United’s bid to capture a coveted top-four Premier League finish in 2021/22 fell flat amid the team’s rough patch under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
New sheriff Erik ten Hag is in town now, and despite getting his managerial tenure at Old Trafford off to a nightmarish start, pieces are steadily falling into place for the Dutchman.
Only one day shy of his 25th birthday, Marcus Rashford headed home for the Red Devils’ hard-earned 1-0 home win over West Ham United on Sunday.
In addition to becoming the first player since Wayne Rooney to bring in a century of Man Utd goals, the lightning-quick forward helped his side whittle down the gap to the Premier League top four to a single point.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney have taken to social media to congratulate the Theatre of Dreams homegrown star on reaching a flattering milestone.
Rashford’s heroics would’ve been in vain if it weren’t for David de Gea’s fabulous hat-trick of saves to deny West Ham’s last-gasp attempts to clutch a point.
The Spanish goalkeeper came up huge to help ten United over the line to a fifth successive shutout at Old Trafford for the first time since June 2020, extending the Hammers’ wait for a win at this venue to 15 years.
But more importantly, ten Hag’s men are now firmly in contention to welcome the World Cup break inside the top four, with two relatively winnable league fixtures waiting in the wings.
Out-of-sorts Aston Villa and newly-promoted Fulham are Man Utd’s remaining Premier League rivals ahead of November’s international break, and it’s reasonable to assume all six points are well within reach.
And if you’re willing to back the Red Devils to take maximum points from their two upcoming top-flight matches, hurry up to seize the SportPesa bonus.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at United’s forthcoming league games and how they could shape up the top-four picture ahead of the Qatar showpiece.
Aston Villa (H), 06/11/2022
While waiting for former Arsenal boss Unai Emery to take over the managerial reins in the wake of Steven Gerrard’s dismissal, Villa succumbed to a dreadful 4-0 defeat away to Newcastle United at the weekend.
Villa’s first Premier League contest in the post-Gerrard era was a resounding success as they thumped Brentford 4-0 at Villa Park under caretaker manager Aaron Danks.
However, another embarrassing result at St James’ Park proved the demolition of the Bees was just a one-off, which should inspire much confidence in Man Utd’s camp.
Emery’s touchline debut in Birmingham comes amid Villa’s keenly-contested battle against the drop, with the Lions languishing only one point clear of the relegation zone.
It takes no rocket science to conclude the Spaniard will have to work his socks off to drag his new employers out of trouble, but it’s unlikely to start against high-flying Man Utd.
Ten Hag’s men have gone into overdrive since losing 6-3 at Manchester City in early October, stringing together eight competitive games without losing (W6, D3).
Then it’s reasonable to expect the Red Devils to put Villa to the sword and avenge a 1-0 loss in this corresponding fixture last season.
Fulham (A), 13/11/2022
Man Utd’s trip to Craven Cottage to take on promoted Fulham on the eve of the World Cup break has all the makings of a walk in the park on paper, but reality suggests otherwise.
Unlike some previous top-flight campaigns, where they were mainly whipping boys doomed to relegation long before the end of the season, the Cottagers have entered 2022/23 with a different attitude.
Spearheaded by the third-most prolific Premier League striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Marco Silva’s men have clocked up 19 points in the opening 13 rounds.
They are already only eight points shy of the 27-point total they tallied in their most recent top-flight season in 2020/21, meaning Man Utd’s win in London is not a foregone conclusion.
But with Ronaldo slowly working his way back into ten Hag’s mercy after their well-documented fallout and Rashford firing on all cylinders, the Red Devils should come out victorious.
With a game in hand on fourth-placed Newcastle United, there’s every reason for the Old Trafford faithful to look forward to the upcoming fortnight.
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