Manchester United’s Tough Run Ahead
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If this article was written earlier in the week, it would be anticipating Manchester United’s exit from the Champions League. However, after events in Paris on Wednesday night, the narrative is one that becomes completely different.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer did the almost unthinkable and that was to take a heavily depleted United side to the French capital and overturn the 2-0 deficit that was handed to them after the first leg meeting at Old Trafford.
While although there would have been undoubted celebrations from the Red Devils last night, they won’t be able to celebrate for all that long either. That’s because Manchester United have a tough run of fixtures ahead and these are ones that will certainly shape the rest of their season.
This Sunday they travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal – a ground that they won at earlier in the season, when the two sides met in the F.A. Cup 4th Round, although this time around the stakes are arguably higher.
That’s because with the race to finish in the top four intensifying with every week that passes, both Arsenal and United know that this is the perfect opportunity in which to dampen the hopes of a near rival.
The race to finish third or even fourth may not present a physical trophy at the end of the campaign, but it will certainly offer something of a symbolic one and at the same time a place in next season’s Champions League is a worthy enough prize.
Then again, the F.A Cup is still also a very viable concern for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players and following the trip to Arsenal, they then travel to Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the last eight.
You almost forget that Nuno Espirito Santo led the club to the EFL Championship last season, such has been their smooth transition to the English top flight and because of that, they will no doubt provide a tough test for United.
However, you do get the feeling that this is a group of players that is growing in confidence every week and when you look at the teams that make up the last eight competitors of the F.A. Cup, then Manchester United will be second favourites to win it outright.
If they are to do so, then they will have to do it the hard way after already having to visit both Chelsea and Arsenal. Should they clear the hurdle of Wolves, then the likelihood of Manchester City will await in the either the Semi-final or final.
And of course, one should not forget that after such a sensational result in Paris, there is also the small matter of awaiting the draw for the Quarter-finals of the Champions League, a tournament that has now been blown wide open.
There could well be as many as four Premier League teams in the last eight and United will feel that they have a genuine chance of winning the competition, a statement you certainly would not have written in the last days of Jose Mourinho.
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