Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is continuing to look up the Barclays Premier League table as the race for the top four places and Champions League qualification continues apace.
The Reds moved back into third spot with a 3-1 success against Leicester City on Saturday, but Liverpool and Tottenham also picked up three points.
West Ham, United's next league opponents, were beaten at Anfield, while Manchester City and Chelsea drew 1-1 in Saturday's top of the table clash.
On Sunday, Arsenal thumped Aston Villa 5-0 to move fifth, one point behind United, and Southampton missed the chance to go above the Reds as they slipped to a surprising 1-0 loss at home to Swansea.
The Premier League's pecking order is changing from week to week, but that is merely a sign that the race is heading right to the wire.
Despite Saturday's victory, van Gaal warned that United still have work to do to secure a return to the Champions League for next season.
"I have already said in press conferences that the race for a Champions League spot could go down to the final weekend of the season.
"That is a big battle, not only for us but also for our opponents who are close to us in the league." the boss admitted to MUTV.
The Reds have gained points on Chelsea and City this weekend and although Chelsea look set fair for the title, second placed City are five points ahead and if we can string a run of results together from a favourable run-in, they can remain within reach.
"We are five points off them (Manchester City) so we can aim to get nearer to them- I believe it will be a big battle until the end." added van Gaal.
United had moved third with the victory over the Foxes and cemented that position after the Saint's unexpected reverse to Swansea at St Mary's.
That result means that the Reds are one point ahead of Ronald Koeman's side as van Gaal sets his sights on finishing as high in the league as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment