Manchester United climbed back into the top four with a gritty 1-0 win over Brentford at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
Marcus Rashford netted the only goal of the game to seal a much-needed victory for the Reds, lifting them back above Tottenham Hotspur and into fourth. Spurs had temporarily replaced Erik ten Hag's side in the Champions League places after drawing 1-1 with Everton 48 hours earlier.
Victory over Brentford brought an end to United's three-game winless run, meaning they will now be hoping that they have put their recent blip behind them. They will be targeting another home triumph when they face Everton on Saturday lunchtime.
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Should they beat the Toffees, the Reds will reclaim third place from Newcastle United, who recorded a fourth successive win with a thumping 5-1 victory over relegation-threatened West Ham United at the London Stadium on Wednesday night. That saw them retain third ahead of United on goal difference.
That means, as we head into Easter, just three points currently separate Newcastle in third and Tottenham in fifth. Meanwhile, it is still far too early to rule Brighton & Hove Albion out of the race for Champions League qualification, with their 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday night moving them to within four points of Spurs.
Here are United's next six fixtures compared them with those of their nearest rivals.
Manchester United - 4th (53pts)
- Everton (H) - April 8
- Nottingham Forest (A) - April 16
- Tottenham Hotspur (A) - April 27
- Aston Villa (H) - April 30
- Brighton & Hove Albion (A) - May 4
- West Ham United (A) - May 7
Verdict: With four away games in their next six, United need to ensure they get three points from Saturday's tussle with Everton. Each of their next four away trips will represent different challenges and the trips to Spurs and Brighton could be of huge significance in the top-four battle.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest and West Ham are fighting for their lives at the other end of the table, meaning they will not simply roll over and allow United to walk all over them. United's mentality in those two matches could be just as important as their footballing ability. The clash with Aston Villa at Old Trafford at the end of this month also promises to be a very stern test.
Newcastle United - 3rd (53pts)
- Brentford (A) - April 8
- Aston Villa (A) - April 15
- Tottenham Hotspur (H) - April 23
- Everton (A) - April 27
- Southampton (H) - April 30
- Arsenal (H) - May 7
Tottenham Hotspur - 5th (50pts)
- Brighton & Hove Albion (H) - April 8
- Bournemouth (H) - April 15
- Newcastle United (A) - April 23
- Manchester United (H) - April 27
- Liverpool (A) - April 30
- Crystal Palace (H) - May 6
Brighton & Hove Albion - 6th (46pts)
- Tottenham Hotspur (A) - April 8
- Chelsea (A) - April 15
- Nottingham Forest (A) - April 26
- Wolves (H) - April 29
- Manchester United (H) - May 4
- Everton (H) - May 8
*All fixtures and dates are subject to change.
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