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Manchester United have provided Liverpool with a Champions League lifeline.
The weekend saw both Newcastle and United fall to defeats, putting their respective top-four credentials at risk.
For United in particular, the draining campaign is rapidly unravelling, with poor performances and costly individual errors having plagued the last month of action.
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Indeed, on Thursday night a stoppage-time handball saw Brighton convert a last-minute penalty at the death. Then, against West Ham a baffling David De Gea mistake proved decisive as the Hammers claimed a 1-0 win.
United now just sit a point above Liverpool, though have a game in hand over their rivals. Should they miss out on Champions League football it would represent a significant sporting and financial error.
Liverpool’s top-four hopes
Liverpool’s fate is not in their hands. While they are within touching distance of top four, both Newcastle and United have a game in hand over the Merseyside club.
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Meanwhile, seventh-placed Brighton, who currently sit seven points adrift of the Reds, have the potential to leapfrog them into fifth courtesy of three games in hand.
Even if Liverpool win their three remaining matches they could still drop a position and finish the season in sixth.
However United’s dip in form has coincided with Liverpool’s resurgence, and it could ultimately provide an alternate route to the Champions League.
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It had initially looked as though Newcastle were the only team that could be caught, but United’s steering performances have opened the door for the Merseyside club.
Man Utd and Liverpool
To secure top-four football United need nine points from their final four games, given Liverpool’s superior goal difference at this stage.
Moreover, if the two sides finish level on points, with the same goal difference, league position is decided by goals scored. Should that be the case Liverpool’s 7-0 thrashing of United in March could prove decisive.
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Ten Hag’s side have a favourable run-in, however. Next Saturday they host Wolves before travelling to Bournemouth. They then finish the campaign with back-to-back home games against Chelsea and Fulham.
While United’s away form has been poor all season, their encounter against Bournemouth should be made easier by the Cherries having virtually secured survival.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s run-in is tougher than United’s though they are a side in form, having won eight of their last ten matches.
Eddie Howe’s men need just seven points from four matches to guarantee they finish above Liverpool, though boast a superior goal difference if the two sides were to finish level on points. The Reds, however, have scored six more times than the Magpies.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Football, Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Jurgen Klopp, Eddie Howe, Erik Ten Hag, Champions League, Premier League