United still have a part to play in historic title race

At the 25-game mark, Manchester United sat 14 points behind the co-leaders of the Premier League. By no means still in the title race, the team’s resurgence under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given fans of the Red Devils reason to rejoice with the team closing in on the top four while riding a tsunami of momentum. Despite not being in the hunt for the title, United still have a huge part to play while Manchester City and Liverpool exchange blows atop the table.

City’s 2-0 win in their midweek match-up against Everton drew them level on points with the Reds and ahead on goal difference, putting the pressure back on the out of form Liverpool. Both teams look set to go neck-and-neck to the final weeks of the season, but neither team has an easy ride to the finish.

While any game can present itself as a
potential banana skin in the Premier League, both teams’ fiercest local rival
appears to have a hand yet to play in this title race. Among some other
key fixtures, Manchester United will host Liverpool on the 24^th
of February and Manchester City on the 16^th of March. The two
leading title contenders must also host the injury-ravaged, but still chasing,
Tottenham Hotspur, who sit just five points back.

City and Liverpool facing two of the same top-class teams before the end of the season is keeping them in close running in when predicting the outcome of the league, with the matches against Spurs and especially United potentially being very telling once they’ve been played.

With the points all even atop the Premier League table, City’s goal difference has them favoured to eventually come out on top at 3/4, with Liverpool just behind at 13/10, and Spurs at 20/1 despite only trailing by five points and set to play both teams who lead the way.

Why do the games against United matter so much?

The Manchester Derby is always the talk of
the city in the weeks leading up to the big game, but this year, despite United
not being in the title race, their performance against Manchester City could
swing the race in favour of Liverpool. But, with Liverpool being the fan base’s
most despised of the two rivals, United will also want to defeat the Reds to
swing the race towards the blue half of Manchester.

The key to these very decisive matches is
the dates on which they’ll be played. United have been flying high under
Solskjaer, going ten games without a loss – nine of which were wins – face
Fulham to most likely move to 11 undefeated, but then face a very tough
schedule.

First, on the 12^th of February,
United will host French titans Paris Saint-Germain before travelling to
Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the FA Cup six days later. If the Red Devils
can hold onto their great form and come out of those matches with some strong
results, they’ll be in a good place to face the slipping Liverpool on the 24^th
of February, who must contend with the tricky Bournemouth and host German
giants Bayern Munich.

City also catch United after a tough couple
of games, travelling to Paris and then to the Emirates to face Arsenal in a
potential battle for the top four before hosting the blue half of Manchester on
the 16^th of March. By that point, Liverpool’s possible loss to
United may see City pull ahead by a significant margin, but the Manchester
Derby could bring the Citizens back into the scrap.

They may be out of the title race, but
Manchester United still have a huge part to play in the run for the title, delivering
two tantalising home fixtures that the red half of Manchester will undoubtedly
be amped-up to see.