Manchester United compromised their chances of securing their first Premier League top-four finish since 2022/23 with a dismal 2-1 home loss to Leeds United on Monday.
Leeds took advantage of United’s rustiness following a 24-day layoff to claim their first league win at Old Trafford in 45 years earlier this week, dampening the Red Devils’ spirits ahead of a high-stakes clash with Chelsea.
United squandered a glorious opportunity to stretch a comfortable-looking seven-point lead over the sixth-placed Blues, intensifying the pressure on themselves ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stamford Bridge.
Avoiding defeat in West London for the first time since October 2022 would likely go a long way toward securing a top-four finish and a return to the UEFA Champions League next season.
For supporters already eyeing Manchester United tickets for Europe’s elite competition next season at Old Trafford, that outcome remains within reach—but far from guaranteed.
In addition to losing Argentine centre-back Lisandro Martinez to a red-card ban, manager Michael Carrick will be without Harry Maguire, as the FA confirmed the Englishman’s suspension for acting in an improper manner.
With that in mind, the 20-time English champions would be wise to focus on taking maximum points from their final three home league matches of the season.
Let’s look at Man Utd’s last three Premier League fixtures at Old Trafford.
Brentford - April 27
Despite emerging victorious from all four home league meetings with Brentford in the 21st century, Carrick’s side cannot afford to take Keith Andrews’ men for granted.
Sitting only five points adrift of fifth-placed Liverpool ahead of the weekend, the Bees have defied the odds to establish themselves as genuine top-five contenders this season. Not in his wildest dreams could Andrews have imagined bringing Brentford this close to a maiden Champions League qualification in his first season at the Gtech Community Stadium.
With six games left to play, that has become a distinct possibility for the club that joined the top flight for the first time only five years ago. Four consecutive league draws have derailed Brentford’s top-five prospects, but they are more than capable of causing an upset at Old Trafford.
However, Man Utd’s long-term dominance in this fixture can inspire confidence among the Red Devils faithful, with United’s last home defeat to this opposition coming in 1937.
Prediction: Man Utd to Win
Liverpool - May 3
Old Trafford will set the stage for another mouth-watering showdown at the beginning of May when Carrick’s charges face eternal rivals Liverpool in a top-five six-pointer. Arne Slot’s future at Anfield could be on the line after Paris Saint-Germain thrashed the Reds 4-0 on aggregate in their Champions League quarter-final tie.
Failing to secure a place at Europe’s top table only a year after hoisting the Premier League title would be a disaster for the reigning title holders and would probably spell the end of the Dutch manager’s tenure.
Liverpool will touch down at the Theatre of Dreams without French striker Hugo Ekitike, who suffered a season-ending injury against PSG, boosting United’s hopes of snapping a three-game winless home run against the Reds.
As such, Man Utd can realistically expect to beat the Anfield giants and complete their first league double over their arch-rivals for the first time since 2015/16, following a 2-1 win in October’s reverse fixture.
Prediction: Man Utd to Win
Nottingham Forest - May 17
Nottingham Forest’s visit in the penultimate round looks like the most winnable match on paper, but it may not necessarily be the case.
Indeed, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are fighting tooth and nail to stave off relegation, as they currently sit only three points clear of the bottom three.
Despite their underwhelming domestic season, Forest are no idle threat, as evidenced by their four-game winless league streak against Man Utd.
To put United’s woes in this fixture into perspective, they lost three of those four meetings, including a 3-2 defeat in their last clash at Old Trafford. It’s also worth noting that the sides shared the spoils in a goal-glutted 2-2 draw at the City Ground in November.
Prediction: Draw |
