After losing to Man City in round 27, Man Utd still holds the 6th position in the Premier League table. They are only 2 places behind the Champions League group, but closing this gap to enter the top 4 is a very difficult task for the "Red Devils" (currently with 44 points).
Coach Erik ten Hag's team is still 11 points behind Aston Villa (the team in fourth place). To secure a Champions League spot, Man Utd must hope that this opponent will lose at least 4 matches in the remaining 11 rounds.
The Daily Mail has just predicted the results of Man Utd's remaining 11 rounds to assess their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. The analysis results are not very positive for "Red Devils" fans, even if coach Erik ten Hag and his team maintain the same stable form as in early 2024.
Man Utd will find it difficult to break into the top 4 in the current situation.
The "Red Devils" will meet Everton and Sheffield United at home in the next two rounds. Victory is within reach of coach Erik ten Hag and his students when the opponents are not in good form.
The next series of matches is more difficult. Man Utd must face Brentford, Chelsea, Bournemouth on away field. These are not strong opponents but are strong enough to make the "Red Devils" struggle.
Bournemouth beat Man Utd 3-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg, while Brentford only dropped the victory in extra time at the same stadium. Man Utd can win 6-9 points in these 3 matches.
In between these away games, Man Utd will play two home games against Liverpool and Newcastle. Daily Mail predicts that coach Erik ten Hag and his team will only get 1 point at most.
Burnley and Crystal Palace are opponents that Man Utd can confidently win all 6 points. In the last 2 matches, the "Red Devils" will have difficulty when facing Arsenal (home) and Brighton (away). Man Utd can only win 1 point in these 2 matches.
Thus, Daily Mail predicts Man Utd will win 19 points in the remaining 11 rounds. With 63 points in hand, the "Red Devils" will find it difficult to compete for a position in the top 4 because Aston Villa only needs 8 more points to surpass this mark.
Even if Aston Villa run out of steam, there are still other teams that have a better chance of getting ahead than Man Utd. Tottenham in 5th place have 50 points and a game in hand.
It is also worth noting that the Daily Mail's prediction of 19 points is based on Man Utd's recent form. They have only lost 2 matches in 2024 - not a bad record. However, the "Red Devils" have lost 2 in the last 3 rounds.
It is possible that these defeats have dampened Man Utd's morale. A few days ago, a supercomputer from a football data collection company predicted that Man Utd would only win a total of 57 points by the end of the season - lower than the Daily Mail's prediction.
Coach Erik ten Hag probably also understands that it is very difficult to break into the top 4. Speaking after the match with Man City, the Dutch coach expected that Arsenal or Man City would win the Champions League, which means that the team ranked 5th in the Premier League will participate in the most prestigious arena in Europe.
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