Erik ten Hag has insisted Liverpool’s winning run is “not important” to Manchester United as they look to secure Champions League football.
A top-four finish looked to be almost guaranteed for United a few weeks ago, but Liverpool have won six matches on the bounce while Ten Hag’s side have taken just one point from their last three away matches.
It means United have only a one-point cushion over Liverpool in fifth, though do have a game in hand and three of their remaining fixtures are at Old Trafford, where they have not been beaten in any competition since early September.
The first of those comes this weekend against Wolves, where United are likely to be without top scorer Marcus Rashford after he picked up a leg injury to leave his fitness as a “big question mark”, according to Ten Hag.
Despite Liverpool finally clicking into gear and threatening to pip his side to a top-four finish, the United boss dismissed the significance of their form as he reminded his players they are still firmly in control of their own destiny.
“It’s not important, we have it in our hands, have to bring our performance and then it’s not important,” Ten Hag said.
“Important is the opponent we face tomorrow - Wolves. We take them seriously. They have done a great job, so our focus is on that. We don’t think about other opponents.”
He added: “Of course we can ignore it, it is not important. We have everything in our hands - we are not dependent on them, we are dependent on ourselves.”
