When David de Gea produced a 95th-minute save to deny West Ham captain Mark Noble from the penalty spot at the London Stadium on September 19, it felt like the good times were returning to Manchester United.
The club had ended the day joint-top of the Premier League table, level on points with Chelsea and Liverpool, and three clear of cross-city rivals Manchester City, with all 20 clubs having played their first five matches. There was a sense of optimism in the air and the celebrations amongst the United players on the pitch following the full-time whistle signified just how big a victory it was, ensuring it kept their early-season momentum alive.
Spending north of £120million on Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo during the summer transfer window, United, especially former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, had the weight of the world on their shoulders. The Norwegian had been significantly backed in the window and United had all of the necessary tools to compete for English football's ultimate prize once again, eight years after last laying their hands on the title.
ALSO READ: Ronaldo role and new formation - Manchester United need to solve three things before Man City match
Just over five months later, United now run the risk of missing out on a place in next season's Champions League, with Saturday's goalless draw with Watford being the latest setback in what is proving to be a forgettable campaign. Although the stalemate with the Hornets has kept them in the top-four, albeit by the skin of their teeth, Arsenal, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur are all breathing down their neck.
Whilst West Ham are just one place and two points behind United in the standings, Arsenal are two places and two points behind. However, they have three games in hand on United, meaning, should things go their way, they could pose the biggest threat to Ralf Rangnick's side in the quest to grab fourth.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are also still in the hunt, boasting two games in hand on the Reds. They, however, are currently five points behind Rangnick's troops, meaning they are under a greater degree of pressure to make the most of their games in hand against Brighton & Hove Albion and top-four and local rivals Arsenal.
But how has the prospect of United missing out on the top four reached this stage? The club added three-world class players to its squad during the summer, successfully strengthening three positions that were in need of fresh blood in the process.
Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham, in comparison, did not strengthen their respective squads to anywhere near as high a standard. The Gunners, in fairness, did invest heavily in the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Martin Odegaard, all of whom are good players in their own rights, but United's captures of Varane, Sancho and Ronaldo, however, dwarfed the north London club's recruitment. Tottenham's recruitment, likewise West Ham's, was far from glittering and you would not have considered it a threat to United.
However, the trio of London clubs, on the face of it, seem far more likely to secure a top-four berth than United, with the Reds' slip-ups, certainly at home, becoming far more frequent and all the more damaging. Failing to beat the likes of Aston Villa, Everton, Southampton and Watford on their own patch is what will end up costing United come May.
Those poor results will not only deny United Champions League football, either. The failure of missing out on a place in Europe's premier club competition could also have catastrophic consequences for the club's next manager, as it would impact the calibre of players he could add to the squad and who, quite easily, he could keep hold of.
For instance, although uncertainty surrounds Ronaldo's future, he did not return to Old Trafford be playing on Thursday nights in the Europa League and warming his sofa on a Tuesday and Wednesday evenings when the likes of Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe are lighting up our TV screens in the Champions League. That is how concerning it has become.
This forthcoming summer will mark the beginning of a new dawn for United. A new manager will pick up the baton from Rangnick and new additions to the squad are expected to made, certainly in holding midfield and up front.
ALSO READ: Ralf Rangnick has doubts about Cristiano Ronaldo
ALSO READ: Manchester United and Man City academy values revealed as world's top clubs ranked
But to ensure they successfully source their top targets to strengthen those respective areas, they can ill-afford to be without Champions League football. Europe's premier club competition is a huge attraction for players nowadays and if the Reds are to source their top targets it is vital that they can offer that competition as part of their sales pitch.
With 11 Premier League fixtures left for United, they have to start demonstrating that they deserve a top-four finish. Arsenal's and Spurs' games in hand are out of their control, meaning they can only focus on themselves.
However, with the squad they have at their disposal, they should not even have to be worrying about those chasing after them. Now is the time for them to prove that they deserve what should have been a bare minimum expectation back in August and give Mauricio Pochettino or Erik ten Hag, or maybe someone else, the perfect platform to build the next chapter on.
Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.
Catch up on all the latest United headlines in our United section.
