Manchester United secured a vital victory over West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with Marcus Rashford scoring the winning goal for the home side.
The England international scored his 100th club goal for the Reds in the triumph over the Hammers, with Erik ten Hag's men moving just one point behind Newcastle in fourth, while having a game in hand over the Magpies.
United face a hectic schedule before the season pauses for the World Cup in Qatar, which continues on Thursday as the Reds travel to Spain to face off against Real Sociedad in the Europa League. Ten Hag's men then clash with Aston Villa in the next two successive matches - in the Premier League and EFL Cup.
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The Reds will compete in three different competitions before the break in the campaign, with United in Premier League, Europa League and EFL Cup action. Putting the two cup competitions to one side - just for a moment - MEN Sport has taken a close look at United's next six league fixtures, two of which come before the end of November, and compared them with those of their fellow expected top-four challengers.
Manchester United - 5th (23pts)
- Aston Villa (A) - November 6
- Fulham (A) - November 13
- Nottingham Forest (H) - December 26
- Wolves (A) - December 31
- Bournemouth (H) - January 3
- Manchester City (H) - January 14
Verdict: With three matches at home, and three away, it promises to be a challenging period for Ten Hag's side. The Reds will play just two more games in the league before the break in the season, and will be confident that they can secure six points from their next couple of fixtures.
Fans will already be looking ahead to the second Manchester derby of the campaign, but United need to ensure that, when the club returns to top-flight action, they are still pushing for Champions League spots, or even inside the top four. The next five matches are certainly all winnable, but it is vital that the Reds remain grounded.
Arsenal - 1st (31pts)
- Chelsea (A) - November 6
- Wolves (A) - November 12
West Ham United (H) - December 26
Brighton & Hove Albion (A) - December 31
Newcastle United (H) - January 3
Tottenham Hotspur (A) - January 14
Manchester City - 2nd (29pts)
- Fulham (H) - November 5
- Brentford (H) - November 12
- Leeds United (A) - December 28
- Everton (H) - December 31
- Chelsea (A) - January 5
- Manchester United (A) - January 14
Tottenham Hotspur - 3rd (26pts)
- Liverpool (H) - November 6
- Leeds United (H) - November 12
- Brentford (A) - December 26
- Aston Villa (H) - January 1
- Crystal Palace (A) - January 4
- Arsenal (H) - January 14
Chelsea - 6th (21pts)
- Arsenal (H) - November 6
- Newcastle United (A) - November 12
- Bournemouth (H) - December 27
- Nottingham Forest (A) - January 1
- Manchester City (H) - January 5
- Crystal Palace (H) - January 14
Liverpool - 9th (16pts)
- Tottenham Hotspur (A) - November 6
- Southampton (H) - November 12
- Aston Villa (A) - December 26
- Leicester City (H) - December 30
- Brentford (A) - January 2
Brighton & Hove Albion (A) - January 14
*All fixtures are subject to change.
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